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European Fire Detection Forum announces programme: From reaction to prediction

Euralarm President Peter Mita will open the first European Fire Detection Forum that will take place on 2 December 2026 at Koelnmesse in Cologne, as part of VdS-FireSafety Cologne. The theme of the Euopean Fire Detection is “From reaction to prediction – the next paradigm of electronic fire safety”.

Zug, Switzerland, October 2026 – Euralarm has announced the programme for the first European Fire Detection Forum, bringing together experts from industry, research, standardisation and regulation to explore the future of fire detection. The Forum will take place on 2 December 2026 at Koelnmesse in Cologne, as part of VdS-FireSafety Cologne.

Under the theme “From reaction to prediction – the next paradigm of electronic fire safety”, the Forum will examine how new risks, technologies and regulations are changing the way fires are detected and responded to. Central to the programme is the question of how fire detection can evolve from identifying the physical signs of an already developing fire towards earlier and more intelligent detection of emerging risks.

The programme reflects the breadth of that transition. Following the opening by Euralarm President Peter Mita, Chantal Chalouhi of Jensen Hughes will examine current challenges and trends in European fire safety. Robert Read of Apollo Fire Detectors will then explore the limits of today’s smoke, heat and CO detection, while Sebastian Festag of Euralarm will address the continuing challenge of false alarm prevention.

Other sessions will examine remote services and self-testing, sustainability, computer vision and Edge AI, sensor fusion and predictive fire safety, and early gas detection of lithium-ion battery incidents. The Forum concludes by looking at an equally important question: whether regulation, standards and certification can keep pace with innovation in fire detection.

Peter Mita, President of Euralarm, said: “The future of fire detection will not be defined by one technology alone. It will depend on how we combine better sensing, artificial intelligence, new service models and reliable standards to detect developing risks earlier and respond more intelligently. Moving from reaction to prediction is therefore not simply a technology discussion – it is a challenge for the entire fire safety ecosystem. The European Fire Detection Forum brings together the different perspectives needed to address that challenge.”

The European Fire Detection Forum is designed to bring together manufacturers, fire safety engineers and consultants, building owners and facility managers, installers and system integrators, regulators, certification and testing bodies, fire brigades, researchers and technology innovators.

The Forum will be held in English on 2 December 2026 at the Congress-Centrum Ost, Koelnmesse, Cologne. The conference ticket also provides access to the two-day VdS-FireSafety Cologne 2026, enabling participants to combine the Forum with a visit to the international fire protection trade fair. The participation fee is € 395 plus VAT, including conference documentation, refreshments and lunch.

The complete programme, including speakers, session descriptions and registration information, is available in the European Fire Detection Forum programme flyer on the Euralarm website.