SPARROW – Solid Preparedness And Resilience for Robust Operations during Disaster and Digital Breakdown
SPARROW (Solid Preparedness And Resilience for Robust Operations during Disaster and Digital Breakdown) is a near-to-deployment integrated platform designed to enhance preparedness, coordination and decision-making of emergency responders and authorities during complex disaster scenarios, including large-scale disasters and communication breakdowns. The platform combines resilient emergency communication capabilities, advanced data integration, simulation models and operational decision-support tools within a unified operational environment. SPARROW integrates a deployable ruggedised emergency communication network (EMER-5G), peer-to-peer communication mechanisms (EMPEER), signal-expansion drones (SEDs), and the Emergency Communication Mobile Application (ECOMAPP), enabling citizens and responders to maintain communication even in degraded connectivity environments. Operational awareness and analysis are supported through the City Digital Twin (CITWIN), which integrates real-time, historical and simulated data. Within this environment, the Vulnerability Assessment Synoptic Engine (VASE) evaluates socio-economic vulnerabilities during crises, while IRICS (Integrated Resilience of Interdependent Critical InfrastructureS) analyses potential impacts on critical infrastructures and cascading effects across interconnected systems. Based on these insights, the Dynamic Critical Asset Management Recommendation Engine (DYCAMARE) provides recommendations for the optimal deployment of response resources, supported by an Emergency Traffic Management Re-routing platform to facilitate evacuation and responder access. Unlike many crisis management tools focusing on isolated capabilities, SPARROW provides an integrated operational environment combining resilient communications, data integration, simulation and decision support. SPARROW is currently at TRL 5 and undergoing validation through pilots, tabletop exercises and field trials, aiming to reach TRL 6 by the end of the project.
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The ambition of SPARROW is to significantly strengthen the preparedness and resilience of European emergency response systems in the face of increasingly complex disasters, including situations where digital and communication infrastructures are partially or fully disrupted. The proposal aims to bridge a critical gap between advanced research outcomes and operational needs by delivering an integrated, near-to-deployment solution that supports coordinated decision-making and continuity of operations for emergency responders and authorities. SPARROW’s core objective is to enable a shared and reliable operational picture by integrating heterogeneous data sources, communication tools and simulation-based decision support into a single, coherent environment accessible to multiple actors. By doing so, the solution addresses persistent challenges faced by first responders, such as fragmented information, limited interoperability across agencies, and difficulties in anticipating cascading impacts during rapidly evolving crisis situations. A key ambition of SPARROW is to move beyond standalone technologies by fostering cross-sector and cross-agency cooperation through a system-of-systems approach. The proposal places strong emphasis on operational relevance, ensuring that the solution is co-designed with end-users and aligned with real-world procedures, constraints and decision-making processes. Through its participation in the DIREKTION Awards, SPARROW seeks to accelerate validation, visibility and uptake of the solution within the European disaster resilience community. The award would support the finalisation of demonstration activities, strengthen engagement with practitioners, and contribute to the broader objective of improving interoperability, preparedness and resilience across Europe.
SPARROW introduces an operational innovation that enhances how authorities and first responders prepare for and respond to complex crises, particularly those involving digital breakdowns and cascading infrastructure failures. Its innovation lies in the integration of City Digital Twin capabilities, drone-enabled resilient communications and real-time decision support into a single, interoperable solution. Unlike existing tools that address preparedness, communication or situational awareness in isolation, SPARROW delivers an end-to-end operational capability. The solution integrates heterogeneous data sources—including critical infrastructure status, mobility constraints, responder assets and citizen inputs—within a dynamic City Digital Twin, enabling a shared situational understanding and proactive anticipation of cascading effects during emergencies. A key innovative element is SPARROW’s airborne emergency communication architecture. Communication resilience is achieved through drones equipped with EMER-5G copmmunication units that can be deployed in coordinated formations to rapidly deploy temporary communication coverage over affected areas. This approach enables fast restoration of prioritised emergency communications without reliance on damaged terrestrial infrastructure, significantly enhancing operational continuity. SPARROW further advances innovation by converting complex simulations and vulnerability analyses into actionable, context-aware recommendations that directly support command and control decisions under time pressure. This closes the gap between data availability and operational action. Developed through a participatory co-design process with emergency responders and authorities and validated in real urban environments, SPARROW represents a mature (TRL 5–7), scalable and interoperable innovation with strong potential for rapid operational uptake across Europe’s disaster resilience ecosystem.
SPARROW addresses critical operational gaps encountered by emergency responders and authorities during complex crises, especially when conventional communication networks and digital services are degraded or unavailable. In such conditions, coordination, situational awareness and timely decision-making are severely compromised. SPARROW restores and enhances operational capacity by providing an integrated environment for coordination, communication and decision support. The solution enables responders to maintain a shared and continuously updated situational picture through a City Digital Twin that integrates the status of critical infrastructures, mobility constraints, available response assets and citizen-reported information where available. This allows command and coordination centres to understand interdependencies, anticipate cascading effects and prioritise interventions based on real operational conditions. A key operational capability of SPARROW is the rapid re-establishment of emergency communications using drone-mounted EMER-5G boxes. These drones operate in coordinated swarms to deploy temporary communication infrastructure over affected areas, restoring connectivity for responders and enabling prioritised emergency traffic. This approach ensures continuity of command, control and information exchange during the most critical phases of an incident. SPARROW further supports operations by transforming complex data and simulations into actionable recommendations for asset deployment and resource allocation, directly assisting commanders in making fast, risk-informed decisions under pressure. By supporting multi-agency coordination, joint preparedness activities and operational response within the same environment, SPARROW reduces response times, limits cascading failures and increases the safety and effectiveness of emergency operations across a wide range of disaster scenarios.
The SPARROW consortium brings together research organisations, technology providers, municipalities, civil protection authorities and practitioner networks. It combines expertise in emergency communications, data integration, digital twins, decision-support systems and disaster resilience, with end-users actively involved in co-design, testing and validation to ensure operational relevance and adoption.
The SPARROW consortium brings together research organisations, technology providers, municipalities, civil protection authorities and practitioner networks. It combines expertise in emergency communications, data integration, digital twins, decision-support systems and disaster resilience, with end-users actively involved in co-design, testing and validation to ensure operational relevance and adoption.