VECTRACK: a satellite and IoT approach to tracking vector‑borne disease risk

World Space Week 2024 framed around the theme Space and Climate Change brings attention to projects that combine space assets with climate adaptation. One EIC Fast Track to Innovation beneficiary, VECTRACK, proposes a step change in how Europe monitors insect vectors that transmit human, animal and plant diseases. Coordinated by IRIDEON SL, the project integrates low cost field traps equipped with optical sensors, machine learning models for insect recognition, and Earth observation data to produce risk maps and near real time alerts. The stated goal is to replace slow, labour intensive manual trap inspection workflows with automated surveillance that can inform targeted interventions and risk assessments.

Why mosquitoes matter now in Europe

Rising temperatures are expanding the range and seasonality of mosquito species that carry arboviruses. Outbreaks such as West Nile virus in Europe in 2018 highlighted how vector borne diseases previously associated with other regions can appear in new places. Invasive species like Aedes albopictus, often known as the tiger mosquito, are already present in southern and central Europe and can transmit dengue and Zika under favourable climatic conditions. Public health agencies need faster, higher resolution surveillance to detect local rises in vector abundance before human cases follow.

How VECTRACK works in technical terms

The system combines three technical building blocks. First, a field trap fitted with an optical extinction sensor records insects as they fly through a near infrared light field. Second, machine learning models interpret the optical signal to classify insect identity, sex and some life history traits. Third, spatial modelling and Earth observation data including Sentinel satellite products are used to map habitat suitability and produce transnational risk assessments. Data are intended to flow in near real time to public health authorities for targeted sampling and response.

Pilot results and discoveries

VECTRACK ran pilot studies with public health entities in Spain and Portugal and with partners in Brazil. Key reported accomplishments from the EIC funded work include automated discrimination between mosquitoes and other insects, sexing of mosquitoes with reported average accuracies above 85 percent, and the capacity to estimate mosquito age above or below a five day threshold. The age distinction matters because female mosquitoes younger than five days are typically less likely to have acquired and incubated arboviruses that can be transmitted to humans. Project participants also report preliminary results suggesting the sensor might detect physiological changes associated with infection. That claim was described as ongoing work and requires independent replication and peer reviewed publication before it can be treated as established.

Commercialisation, partners and funding

VECTRACK is funded under the European Innovation Council Fast Track to Innovation scheme which supports industry led consortia to bring advanced prototypes closer to market. IRIDEON SL coordinates the consortium. One named partner, AVIA-GIS, supplies VECMAP software that can integrate trap networks and spatial outputs. IRIDEON positions itself as an IoT engineering firm and has a product family based on its Senscape platform. The project plans an Earth Observation Sentinel service to support automated, transnational vector surveillance and has included market demonstration, business planning and knowledge protection measures as part of its route to commercialisation.

Practical limitations and policy considerations

The VECTRACK concept compresses promising elements into a practical system. But real world uptake requires confronting operational, regulatory and scientific hurdles. Traps must be placed and serviced, power and connectivity must be provided in the field, and models need continuous retraining to maintain accuracy across new species and environments. Data governance, privacy and biosecurity considerations create additional complexity when health data and geolocated surveillance are involved. Public health procurement cycles and regulatory approval processes can be slow, and agencies may demand independent validation and cost benefit evidence before changing surveillance protocols.

Implications for EU innovation and public health systems

VECTRACK illustrates how EIC programmes are funding translational projects that bridge sensors, AI and space data to address climate sensitive health risks. The European Commission has been pushing to scale innovations where public good outcomes such as disease prevention are possible, but success will depend on long term partnerships between technology providers, national disease control centres and EU agencies such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Procurement models that enable pilot to scale transitions, regulatory pathways for novel biosurveillance tools, and funding for operational validation will determine whether such technologies move from demonstrator status to routine public health infrastructure.

Other EIC beneficiaries noted in the announcement

The same EIC communications that featured VECTRACK also mentioned two other beneficiaries to illustrate the breadth of Commission funding across space and related technologies. Lund University leads ZEUS a Pathfinder style research project aiming to raise the efficiency of radiation resistant nanowire solar cells for space from roughly 15 percent to a potential 47 percent by building triple junction nanowire devices and developing peel off technologies for flexible thin films. Italian company D‑Orbit closed a Series C round that raised over one hundred and fifty million euros and is scaling space logistics, last mile satellite delivery and mission services which the EIC supported in the Accelerator programme.

A balanced assessment

VECTRACK is an exemplar of applied EU innovation funding that aims to tackle a climate amplified health risk with a combination of IoT, AI and space data. The technological building blocks are plausible and pilot results are promising. Yet important steps remain before the system can be accepted as an operational public health tool. Independent validation, peer reviewed publications, robust field trials across seasons and geographies, sustainable business models for public sector procurement, and clear data governance rules will be necessary. For policy makers the attraction is clear because earlier detection can reduce outbreaks and save resources. For investors and buyers the question is whether the performance and lifetime costs will match expectations in diverse operational settings.

In short, VECTRACK shows potential to modernise a century old surveillance model. The next phase will test whether prototype promise can translate into reliable, scalable and responsibly governed public health services across Europe and beyond.

Further reading and project sources

Primary information on VECTRACK, project partners and pilots is available through the consortium and the CORDIS and EIC project pages. For broader context on EU innovation programmes see European Innovation Council materials on Fast Track to Innovation and EIC funding streams.