The VALZEO consortium successfully held its General Assembly Meeting on 22 May 2026 at the Faculty of Engineering of Università Politecnica delle Marche (UNIVPM), Italy, bringing together project partners to review technical progress, secondment activities, dissemination achievements, and upcoming implementation steps across all Work Packages. The meeting followed the VALZEO International Workshop and Science Café organized in Ancona on 21 May 2026.
The General Assembly provided an important opportunity for consortium partners to discuss scientific progress, validate ongoing activities, evaluate project risks and milestones, and strengthen collaboration within the Horizon Europe MSCA Staff Exchanges framework.
The meeting opened with the presentation of WP1 – Collection, Selection and Characterization of Raw Materials and Optimization of Silicon Extraction Process, delivered by Roberto Boada from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. The session focused on material characterization activities, silicon extraction optimization, achieved results, and future implementation plans within the project.
The consortium then reviewed progress under WP2 – Development of Functional Materials for Water Treatment and Catalysis, presented by Rabdel Ruiz Salvador from Universidad Pablo de Olavide. Discussions highlighted developments in innovative materials for environmental remediation, catalysis applications, and sustainable water treatment technologies.
Updates on WP3 – Validation of Materials at Laboratory Scale were presented by Daniele Caterino from Università Politecnica delle Marche, focusing on laboratory validation activities, testing progress, and scientific outputs generated during the project implementation phase.
The meeting also included the presentation of WP4 – Validation of Materials at Pilot Scale and in Real Environment, delivered by Josep Torà from AERIS Tecnologías Ambientales. The session addressed pilot-scale implementation activities, technical developments, and secondment contributions supporting the transition from laboratory validation toward real operational environments.
Dissemination, communication, and stakeholder engagement activities were discussed during the WP5 session presented by Leonardo Piccinetti from Sustainable Innovation Technology Services (SITES). The presentation highlighted communication achievements, networking activities, stakeholder engagement exercises, project visibility indicators, and dissemination strategies implemented throughout the project.
Finally, Roberto Boada presented updates related to WP6 – Project Management, including secondment implementation status, coordination of deliverables, project risks, intellectual property considerations, and future management actions supporting the successful execution of the VALZEO project.
The meeting concluded with a technical visit to UNIVPM laboratories, offering participants the opportunity to explore ongoing research activities and strengthen scientific collaboration among consortium partners.
