Bi-annual progress meetings
Kick-Off Meeting
The kick off meeting was held on January 9th, 2024, by the co-ordinating partner (The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics; CING) at Cleopatra Hotel in Nicosia, Cyprus.
Ms Maria Panayiotou (Environmental Commissioner for Cyprus) alongside Mr Nikos Isaris (Deputy head of EC Representation in Cyprus) and Prof. Leonidas Phylactou (Chief Executive Officer & Medical Director of CING), welcomed the consortium with each one of them providing a short welcome presentation. Representatives from each beneficiary, the CING co-ordinating team and the project as well as the financial officers, from the European Research Executive Agency (REA), came together and presented the project while also discussed the next steps forward. Following the presentations, all partners proceeded into Q&A session as well as round-table discussions.
First Progress Meeting
The first consortium progress meeting of the TOLERATE project took place on the 23rd of July 2024, in Lyngby, Denmark. TOLERATE’s partners from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) hosted the one-day consortium meeting at their main premises just 15km north of Copenhagen. Representatives from each of the 14 partners of the consortium, travelled for the meeting and updated all participants regarding the progress.
The meeting began with a short presentation from the coordinator regarding the general updates of the project, followed by a presentation from each Work Package Leader (WPL) on the progress and updates of each Work Package (WP).
At the end of the day, the first Management Board (MB) meeting was held, with only members of the MB and the project manager being present. A preliminary agenda was prepared and followed by the coordinator on the main issues and concerns identified so far. In addition, partners had the chance to raise any concerns of difficulties they have encountered so far or any issues they believe might effect their future performance.
Pictures taken during the meeting can be found bellow.
Second Progress Meeting
On December 2nd–3rd 2024, the TOLERATE consortium convened in Madrid for its 2nd Progress Meeting, hosted by Contactica. This gathering provided an opportunity for all project partners to assess progress, address challenges, and align the next steps toward achieving TOLERATE’s impactful objectives. The meeting fostered in-depth discussions on ongoing work packages, enabling partners to refine strategies, exchange knowledge, and strengthen collaboration. Each work package presentation was followed by a Q&A session, where partners addressed potential challenges and discussed strategies to move forward. These interactive discussions reinforced the consortium’s commitment to collaboration and strengthened teamwork across different work packages.
During the event, the consortium also introduced a proposal for the project’s Summer School, a key initiative within TOLERATE’s dissemination activities. Partners shared insights on the target audience, discussed potential formats for activities, and explored thematic areas, and potential speakers. This initial brainstorming session laid the foundation for shaping an engaging and impactful programme. Beyond the technical discussions, the meeting played a central role in fostering a sense of unity among partners. The in-person format facilitated meaningful exchanges, ensuring the integration of work package efforts and enhancing collaborative synergies across the consortium. With renewed motivation and a clear roadmap ahead, the team remains committed to advancing the project’s mission and delivering impactful results.
Third Progress Meeting
In June 2025, the TOLERATE consortium gathered at the Technical University of Denmark for its third General Assembly. The first of two working days began with a welcome from the new project coordinator, Pablo Ivan Nikel, who introduced the coordination handover and outlined the transition process. He reassured partners that the leadership change will not affect the project’s direction or objectives.
Work Package leaders presented key progress updates, highlighting advances such as authentication of ancient DNA, testing paleoenzymes in Pseudomonas putida, bioaugmentation experiments, microbiome analysis, and legal and Life Cycle Analysis work. The meeting fostered strong collaboration and alignment across teams, while also setting priorities for the next steps, with the second day focused on preparing the upcoming project report due at the end of June.
Fourth Progress Meeting
In December 2025, partners of the TOLERATE EU project gathered in Groningen, The Netherlands, for a two-day consortium meeting focused on collaboration, reflection, and forward planning.
The meeting brought together representatives from across the consortium to review progress achieved so far, exchange updates across all work packages, and reflect on key milestones reached during the project’s implementation. Dedicated sessions enabled in-depth discussions on scientific advances, technical developments, and management aspects, ensuring alignment with project objectives and timelines. Beyond reviewing past achievements, the consortium used the meeting as an opportunity to look ahead. Partners worked together to identify priorities for the coming months, discuss dependencies between work packages, and strengthen coordination across disciplines.
The meeting also provided valuable space for informal exchanges, reinforcing collaboration and fostering new ideas among partners.
Looking ahead, the consortium also discussed several upcoming activities and outputs. These include the organization of a summer school and dedicated workshops, the development of new educational content for the project website, and the release of additional videos and interactive materials. Partners will also continue working on scientific publications, outreach articles, and other dissemination activities to share project results with the wider community.
Fifth Progress Meeting
On 8 May 2026, the TOLERATE consortium gathered in Alexandroupolis, Greece, for its General Assembly meeting hosted by the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Democritus University of Thrace. The meeting brought together project partners from across Europe to review scientific and technical progress, exchange knowledge across work packages, and coordinate the next phase of activities within the project. Throughout the day, consortium members presented updates on ongoing research and discussed how the different areas of the project continue to contribute to the development of sustainable biotechnological solutions for drought resilience.
Key discussions focused on the identification of drought stress-adaptive genes through environmental aDNA analysis, as well as the expression and application of functional genes at laboratory scale. Partners also shared progress on bio-augmentation strategies for improving drought tolerance and examined advances in scaling up the production of bio-based molecules in engineered bacteria.
The General Assembly coincided with the TOLERATE Summer School and Technical Workshop held in Alexandroupolis on 6–7 May 2026. Organised within the framework of the project, the event brought together researchers, early-career scientists, and industry experts for lectures, hands-on training modules, and discussions on microbial biotechnology, genomics, environmental sustainability, and climate-resilient bio-based innovation.
