What state-of-the-art technologies can be used to improve natural disaster management? What about gender equality in European politics? How might a democracy-proof media system of the future be designed? What can be done about the effects of climate change on cultural heritage monuments?

Researchers from the departments of Geoinformatics, Political Science, Communication Studies and Classics at the University of Salzburg are addressing these questions in four recently approved projects of the EU research funding programme “Horizon Europe”. More than 1.2 million euros were acquired for the PLUS.

Project “TEMA” (Trusted Extremely Precise Mapping and Prediction for Emergency Management).

• PLUS Project leader: Prof. Bernd Resch (Department of Geoinformatics)
• PLUS budget: € 707.000,00
• Project duration: December 2022 – November 2026

Natural disaster management relies heavily on real-time, accurate information to help predict natural disasters and mitigate damage. The EU project “TEMA” (Trusted Extremely Precise Mapping and Prediction for Emergency Management) will develop state-of-the-art methods and technologies to facilitate disaster management procedures.

The real-time data comes from very different sources such as geosocial media (social networks with location information), remote sensing satellites, drones and intelligent meteorological sensors. Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are also utilised. TEMA will provide a map-based emergency decision support system that uses data sources and AI technologies to provide an accurate assessment of an evolving crisis situation while also providing automated response recommendations, explains Professor Bernd Resch from the Department of Geoinformatics – Z_GIS. He heads the Geo-social Analytics research lab there and the iDEAS:lab, which offers broad target groups low-threshold access to geoinformatics research, for example with workshops.

“The University of Salzburg will lead research on the analysis of geosocial media data for natural disaster management in the TEMA project, which involves many partners,” says Resch, adding, “In addition, the University of Salzburg will be one of the core partners in the development of methods for AI-based information fusion from diverse data sources such as social media and satellite imagery. In the process, the PLUS will also ensure that ethical and legal regulations are adhered to.”

Contact:
Assoz.- Prof. Dr. Bernd Resch
Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS) Department of Geoinformatics – Z_GIS
Schillerstraße 30, 5020 Salzburg

t.: +43 662 8044 7551

Project “ActEU” (Activating European citizens’ trust in times of crises and polarisation)

• PLUS Project leaders: Prof. Zoe Lefkofridi and Dr. Nadine Zwiener-Collins (Department of Political Science)
• PLUS budget: € 246.000
• Project start: March 2023, Project duration: 3 years

How can citizens’ trust in politics and in the legitimacy of democratic political systems be promoted on key political issues such as immigration, climate change or gender inequality? Do we need more citizen support at regional, national and EU level? The fact is: many issues are polarising. What can politics and civil society do to overcome these challenges?

The EU project “ActEU” (Towards a new era of representative democracy: Activating European citizens’ trust in times of crises and polarisation) https://www.plus.ac.at/political-science/research/politics-gender-diversity-equality/acteu/?lang=en tries to find answers to these questions. The professorship for “Politics & Gender, Diversity & Equality” https://www.plus.ac.at/political-science/research/politics-gender-diversity-equality/?lang=en, which was established at the University of Salzburg in March 2020, acts as a partner in an international consortium in this project. Specifically, Professor Zoe Lefkofridi and Dr Nadine Zwiener-Collins are leading a work package that examines the relationship between political representation and trust in political institutions.

In addition, the first Salzburg gender professorship will contribute an analysis of the gender dimension to the whole project. “Gender equality is one of the most important political issues in European societies, relevant for attitudes, participation and representation,” says Lefkofridi and adds: “For this purpose, we are conducting a systematic data collection on the representation of women in European politics, which has been missing so far. This not only provides the basis for research questions of the project but will also be highly relevant for the broader scientific community and stakeholders.”

Contact:
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Zoe Lefkofridi
Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS)
Department of Political Science
Sigmund-Hafner-Gasse 18, 5020 Salzburg

t.: +43 662 8044 6602

Project “ReMeD” (Resilient Media for Democracy in the Digital Age)

• PLUS Project leader: Prof. Josef Trappel (Department of Communication Studies)
• PLUS budget: € 217.000
• Project start: October 2022, duration: 3 years

An independent and transparent media landscape that ensures diversity of opinion is a cornerstone of a functioning democracy (“fourth pillar of democracy”). However, with the mass distribution and use of digital platforms in everyday life, the understanding of democracy has changed significantly.

In the EU project “ReMeD” (Resilient Media for Democracy in the Digital Age), researchers from various universities and institutions will examine the relationship between media and

democracy. The focus is on the interaction of professional and alternative forms of journalism. As a result, the researchers are striving to design a media system that is crisis-resistant and equipped to deal with digital challenges, one that will further develop democracy and not damage it. The Department of Communication Studies at the Paris Lodron University Salzburg is a partner in the consortium. “This research project will consistently implement the internationally oriented research strategy at the Department of Communication Studies and strengthen the position of the University of Salzburg in the European Higher Education Area,” says Department Head and project leader Professor Josef Trappel. “With the ‘Media for Democray Monitor’ and the already ongoing EU project ‘Euromedia Ownership Monitor’, the department is contributing a great deal of content to the newly formed ReMeD consortium,” says Trappel happily.

Contact:
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Josef Trappel
Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS)
Department of Communication Studies Media Policy and Media Economics
Rudolfskai, 42, 5020 Salzburg

t.: +43 662 8044 4167

Project “TRIQUETRA” (Toolbox for assessing and mitigating hazards on cultural heritage monuments)

• PLUS Project leader: Prof. Alexander Sokolicek (Department of Classics)
• PLUS budget: 97.000,00

Climate change with its consequences such as prolonged dry seasons, severe storms, torrential floods, rising sea levels, etc. also threatens cultural heritage monuments. For the archaeological heritage, accelerated soil erosion is a particularly serious threat.

The EU project TRIQUETRA (Toolbox for assessing and mitigating hazards on cultural heritage monuments) aims to develop strategies and technologies to counteract the harmful effects of climate on cultural heritage monuments (for example in Greece). Alexander Sokolicek, Professor of Classical Archaeology at the University of Salzburg, is involved in the project with the excavation in Aegina. The exploration of the ancient settlement mound of the island of Aegina in the Saronic Gulf is a research focus of the University of Salzburg. The site is among those with the longest period of use from Neolithic to Byzantine times.

“We have been carrying out restoration work for years, but the soil erosion cannot be contained with our resources. With TRIQIUETRA, we plan to employ staff for the excavations in Aegina who will specifically deal with the conservation of the excavation area and thereby achieve scientifically usable results that are also important for other disciplines such as geology or material sciences,” says Sokolicek.

Contact:
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Alexander Sokolicek
Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS)
Department of Classics Classical and Aegean Archaeology
Residenzplatz 1, 5020 Salzburg

t.: +43 662 8044 4551

More on Horizon Europe

“Horizon Europe” is the EU’s central funding programme for research and innovation. It runs for 7 years (2021 to 2027) and has a budget of around 95 billion euros. The programme focuses on major societal challenges such as climate change, digitalisation and sustainable development.