INGESCO participates in the European GRAIL project to advance lightning research.

In a context where thunderstorms are becoming increasingly intense and frequent, understanding lightning behavior has become a key factor to ensure the safety of people and structures, as well as operational continuity.

At INGESCO, decades of accumulated experience in lightning protection have led us to understand that progress in this field depends not only on technological development, but also on the generation of knowledge.

For this reason, through DENA DESARROLLOS, we are part of the European GRAIL project (Gamma Radiation from the Atmosphere for Investigation and Learning), a doctoral network funded by the Horizon Europe – MSCA Doctoral Networks programme, an EU excellence programme (Grant agreement No. 101227208).

WHAT IS THE GRAIL PROJECT?
GRAIL is a four-year European initiative focused on the study of high-energy atmospheric phenomena associated with thunderstorms. Beyond visible lightning, thunderstorms generate complex phenomena such as:

- TGFs (Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes)
- TGEs (Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements)
- High-energy gamma emissions

Although invisible, these phenomena can have a direct impact on electronic systems, critical infrastructure, and aeronautical and space environments. These processes are investigated through a combination of aircraft-based observations, laboratory experimentation, numerical modelling, and the development of advanced detectors. In other words, this represents one of the most advanced approaches currently available to understand the electrical behaviour of the atmosphere.