Future Needs participated in the second RECONMATIC Project Meeting in Manchester, UK that took place on September 14th and 15th, 2023. The meeting was hosted by our partners, the University of Salford and the University of Manchester and was a great opportunity for the partners to meet and work together in person, one year after the Kick-off last September in Prague.

Morning discussions provided insight into the project’s achievements in its first year and a dive into communications and dissemination achievements and strategies. Our project manager for RECONMATIC, Georgia Nikolakopoulou, who is leading the project activities of Dissemination and  Exploitation for Business and Education in the programme, updated the partners on the dissemination achievements and strategies and the next steps for developing synergies and collaborations. Updates on all work packages followed in the following sessions. In the evening sessions, the partners had the opportunity to have a preliminary discussion on the training materials the project is going to produce and updates on the preliminary steps for the exploitation of the project results, by our very own Lina Giannivassili. Last but not least, an afternoon joint workshop focused on the data framework within the project and the coordination between all the technical work packages. It was a productive meeting where we managed to reach some significant conclusions on difficult topics through collective brainstorming! Participants then toured the Energy House 2.0 and NERIC at the University of Salford, gaining insight into these institutions’ latest advancements. The day rounded off with dinner, offering further networking opportunities in a casual setting.

However, the highlight of the afternoon in Salford University was the arrival of the representatives of our Chinese partners. It was the very first time they were meeting in person with the RECONMATIC Team! Thus, the second day of the meeting started with a presentation of their project tasks in China and the anticipation of this great collaboration. A parallel workshop followed, for a deep dive into sustainability and circularity assessment tools and  the organisation of the RECONMATIC Open Days.  While the majority of the partners participated in a collaborative workshop for our assessment tool, the discussion on the Open  Days mainly focused on the organisation of the upcoming events in the Czech Republic on the 6th of October and next year in the UK. All Open Days will be supported by Future Needs and organized by the partners in the hosting countries. The afternoon dedicated time for preparations and strategies related to the 1st monitoring report. Later the attendees had the unique opportunity to explore select facilities of the University of Manchester, with the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre and the Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials being standout attractions.

With a rich array of discussions, presentations, and interactive workshops, the two-day assembly proved to be a fertile ground for idea exchange and strategic planning.  Reflecting on the significance of the meeting, it is clear that the assembly not only allowed us to showcase our progress but also fostered collaborations, enabled knowledge-sharing, and set a clear path for the project’s next steps.

For a deeper dive into the outcomes of the RECONMATIC Project assembly or to stay updated with future events, you are invited to visit the official website, subscribe and follow RECONMATIC on the project’s social media channels.

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