On April 2nd, 2025, Fondazione SAFE hosted the official Kick-Off Meeting of the HELIX – Hybrid Environmental Landscape Intelligence eXploration project at its headquarters in Soave (Verona). Co-funded by the European Union under the Internal Security Fund, the meeting marked the formal launch of a new strategic initiative aimed at tackling organised environmental crime across Europe.
The HELIX Consortium brings together Fondazione SAFE and four highly specialised European law enforcement agencies with longstanding expertise in environmental protection: CESAN, the Public Health and Environmental Crime Command of France’s Gendarmerie nationale; the ITCC, the Carabinieri Command for Environmental Protection and Ecological Transition (Italy); the Nature and Environmental Protection Service of Portugal’s Guarda Nacional Republicana; and SEPRONA, the Environmental Protection Service of Spain’s Guardia Civil.
Fondazione SAFE plays a central role in the project, leading two core areas of activity. First, it is responsible for the design and delivery of advanced capacity-building programmes for law enforcement professionals. These training modules, both theoretical and practical, will be conducted at SAFE’s dedicated facilities located in the Monte Calvarina Control Zone in Roncà (VR). Second, SAFE oversees the communication and dissemination strategy of the project, ensuring broad visibility, effective knowledge transfer, and the engagement of key stakeholders at the European level.
Building on the achievements of previous research and innovation projects such as PERIVALLON and EMERITUS, HELIX seeks to validate and operationalise cutting-edge technological solutions for the detection, monitoring, and investigation of organised environmental crime within EU Member States.
The Kick-Off Meeting laid the groundwork for two years of structured collaboration focused on enhancing security, strengthening cross-border cooperation, and supporting the operational uptake of innovative tools in the field of environmental crime prevention.
Fondazione SAFE is proud to embark on this new journey alongside a network of distinguished partners, united by a shared commitment to innovation and the protection of Europe’s natural environment.