A study coordinated by Prof. Enrico Caiani from the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering – Politecnico di Milano has led the creation of a new life-saving defibrillator network on the island of Procida, as part of the “Cardio-Protected Islands” project. Through advanced analysis based on geospatial and demographic data, the placement of eight new semi-automatic defibrillators (AEDs) on the island was optimized, achieving potential coverage of 79% of cardiac arrest cases—an improvement of nearly 20% compared to the previous coverage.

The project was carried out in collaboration with the Philips Foundation, Philips Italia, and the Italian Red Cross. The scientific approach considered population distribution, geographical risk, and the locations of cardiac events that occurred between 2019 and 2024. Based on this data, the territory of Procida was divided by land use and urbanization type, allowing the identification of high-risk areas and proposing a new AED distribution model. This model favours publicly accessible locations such as squares and street intersections—accessible at all hours—over traditional placements in schools and public offices.

In addition to the new AED network—which covers more than 1.2 million square meters and an estimated population of 3,810 people—the project included free first aid training courses organized by the Italian Red Cross. These sessions involved over 450 residents and workers from the islands of Procida and the Aeolian Islands. Training the local population in the use of defibrillators and cardiopulmonary resuscitation is essential to increase survival rates following cardiac arrest, especially in smaller islands where immediate emergency response is more difficult.