GASPOF

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GASPOF (Pervasive Gas Sensing Using Optical Fibres) is a Horizon Europe research and innovation project focused on transforming Europe’s fibre-optic communications infrastructure into a dual-purpose system that not only transmits data but also performs distributed gas sensing and environmental monitoring. By integrating advanced optical sensing techniques directly into existing telecom fibres, GASPOF aims to enable real-time detection and quantification of atmospheric gases and physical parameters in locations that are difficult or costly to monitor with conventional technologies.

Project Website: https://gaspof.eu

CYRIC | Cyprus Research & Innovation Center Ltd coordinates the GASPOF consortium, providing leadership and strategic oversight throughout the project’s duration. In this role, CYRIC guides collaborative research efforts, supports integration of sensing technologies with fibre networks, and drives stakeholder engagement and communication activities across Europe. CYRIC also hosts project meetings, facilitates knowledge exchange among partners, and ensures effective dissemination of results to accelerate uptake within research, industry and policy communities.

GASPOF runs from December 2024 to November 2028 with a total EU funding of approximately €3.9 million under the Horizon Europe programme. The project brings together a multidisciplinary consortium from 7 countries working on advanced optical gas sensing solutions that can be integrated into telecom fibre networks. The research focuses on multiple sensing modalities, including Photo-Acoustic Spectroscopy (PTS), Laser Heterodyne Radiometry (LHR) and coherent OTDR approaches, to achieve distributed detection of gases and physical parameters along optical fibres without disrupting normal network operation. Integrated systems will be validated in four real-world application case studies, addressing greenhouse gas monitoring, indoor air quality, natural gas leak detection and volcano gas/seismic monitoring. GASPOF’s outcomes aim to support environmental monitoring, urban safety and new sensing-enabled services delivered through existing communication infrastructure.