The APRISE consortium came together in Saarbrücken, Germany, from 29 September to 1 October 2026 for its second Consortium Meeting and Training School. Hosted at Saarland University and organised by project partner MyBiotech GmbH, the three-day event brought together project partners and talents to review progress, exchange experiences, and participate in training activities supporting the development of alternative proteins.
Day 1 – Project Review and Consortium Meeting
The first day focused on reviewing APRISE’s progress during its first year of implementation. Representatives from the consortium presented achievements, milestones, and ongoing activities across the project’s work packages, covering research skills development, professional and career development, policy advocacy and stakeholder engagement, sustainable practices, and dissemination, exploitation, and communication.
The review meeting also addressed project management, secondment activities, and the experiences of participating talents. Following feedback from the European Research Executive Agency Project Officer, partners continued with internal discussions on upcoming secondments, training activities, and future priorities.
The day concluded with a session on Cultural Competence and Diversity Management, delivered by Erina Guraziu (OpenCom issc).
Day 2 – Training on Food Technologies and Sustainable Practices
On 30 September, the programme continued with technical and professional development sessions addressing challenges and opportunities in the food industry.
Maximilian Schelden (MyBiotech GmbH) opened the day with a session on Innovative Processing Techniques, followed by presentations on Climate Change and the Food Chain from Natasha Ristovska (Green Growth Platform) and Ebru Akdağ (BITKIDEN).
In the afternoon, Prof. Mecit Öztop (Middle East Technical University) delivered a session on Green Technologies in the Food Industry, examining approaches to more sustainable food processing. The programme also included Gender Equality and Intersectionality, presented by Erina Guraziu (OpenCom issc), and Good Manufacturing Practices, delivered by Nazende Günday-Türeli (MyBiotech GmbH).
Day 3 – Production, Open Science, and Career Development
The final day, 1 October, focused on production efficiency, research practices, and professional development.
Maximilian Schelden (MyBiotech GmbH) led a session on Optimizing Production Efficiency and Quality, followed by Rob Morris (Nottingham Trent University), who introduced Open Science and Citizen Science principles. Participants also took part in roundtable discussions, providing opportunities to exchange perspectives on the topics covered throughout the programme.
The afternoon featured a session on preparing Standard Operating Procedures, delivered by Michael Saliba (Nutri Biotech Research Ltd.), and a workshop on Sustainable Employability, Career Development, and Mentorship, led by Erina Guraziu (OpenCom issc).
The meeting concluded with closing remarks and reflections on the three-day programme.
Strengthening Collaboration Across APRISE
CM2 provided an opportunity for the APRISE consortium to review its first-year progress while supporting the continued development of its talents through scientific, technical, and professional training.
APRISE extends its thanks to MyBiotech, particularly Nazende Günday-Türeli and the organising team, for coordinating the meeting and Training School, and to Saarland University for providing the venue.
We also thank all speakers, project partners, and participating talents for their contributions to the discussions and training sessions.
The consortium looks forward to building on the outcomes of CM2 as APRISE continues its work on alternative protein research, knowledge exchange, and talent development across Europe.
