The First Annual Consortium Meeting of EONANOBIOPS project took place in Catania, Italy, on 19–21 October 2026, bringing partners together to review first-year progress, exchange scientific knowledge, strengthen practical skills in developing essential-oil nanoformulations, and coordinate priorities for the second year.
The meeting was organised by the Biodiversity and Environmental Research Center (BERC), the project’s Lead Partner, and hosted and co-organised by the Department of Chemical Sciences at the University of Catania.
Connecting institutions across the Mediterranean:
The meeting was officially opened by Project Coordinator Prof. Mohammed Saleem Ali Shtayeh, who joined online from Palestine. The Biodiversity and Environmental Research Center (BERC), the project’s Lead Partner, was represented by Dr. Rana Jamous and Salam Abu-Zaitoun. Dr. Jamous also acted on behalf of the Project Coordinator Prof. Shtayeh during the meeting.
Participants also included the University of Catania team (Italy), led by Prof. Serena Riela, and representatives of the partner institutions: Prof. Slim Tounsi from the Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax (Tunisia); Prof. Anastasia Detsi from the National Technical University of Athens (Greece); Prof. Dionysios Perdikis from the Agricultural University of Athens (Greece); and Ms. Safaa Abu Zeina, representing An-Najah National University (Palestine). Ms. Aicha Ben Abdelwahed participated online, representing Connect’Innov (Tunisia).
Dr. Charaf M’RABET, Project Management and Monitoring Expert, representing the Interreg NEXT MED Programme’s Joint Secretariat, joined the sessions on 21 October dedicated to Year 2 action planning and risk management.
Dr. M’RABET welcomed the relevance and value of the topics presented, expressed full readiness to support the partnership, and responded to partners’ questions, providing guidance in line with project and Programme requirements.
Over three days, the meeting combined progress reviews, scientific exchange, practical training and planning for the year ahead:
Day 1: Partners presented first-year achievements and challenges, reviewing project implementation and research progress on essential oils, biological screening and innovative nanoformulations.
Day 2: Scientific seminars and collaborative laboratory training strengthened practical skills in nanoformulation development and characterisation, followed by a scientific poster session and networking.
Day 3: Discussions focused on project management, scale-up and commercialization, with partners coordinating priorities, responsibilities and activities for Year 2.
The meeting concluded with agreement on key decisions and practical next steps to advance project activities and define priorities for Year 2. It achieved its objectives by reviewing progress, exchanging expertise, and strengthening coordination and collaboration among partners.
We thank Prof. Serena Riela and her team at the Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, as well as the University itself, for their warm welcome, generous hospitality and excellent organization. We also thank all partners and participants for their valuable contributions and collaboration.
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