Author: Carmela Navarro Medina
On the 13 and 14 June, the fourth General Assembly of the FRONTSH1P project took place in the city of Leeuwarden in the Netherlands. The event was a defining moment where all members of the consortium came together to present and discuss the progress made so far and to set the course for future actions within the project.
The FRONTSH1P General Assembly took place in the Dutch province of Friesland and was hosted by both the province of Friesland and the Circulair Friesland association, both valued project partners. Evert Jan van Nijen, Director of Circulair Friesland, opened the meeting with words of praise and encouragement to the whole consortium and highlighted the remarkable work being done within FRONTSH1P.
Commencing with a series of brief presentations, each work package leader had the opportunity to share the achievements thus far, as well as shed light on the challenges encountered and the key focal points for future endeavours. To further enrich the discourse, external speakers such as Alex Berhitu, Business Development Manager of the region and personally involved in the Hubs for Circularity project, shared insights on overcoming barriers to the implementation of industrial-urban symbiosis and circularity.
The day proceeded with two engaging focus groups, each centred around distinct topics. These discussions served as invaluable platforms for capturing qualitative information, enabling the collection of diverse perspectives and perceptions from consortium members on Circular Systemic Solutions and Regional Replication Strategies.
The first half of the second day of the assembly was dedicated to reviewing the project’s financial and technical documents. Playing a pivotal role during this session, EURADA, in collaboration with Damian Obidowski from the University of Łódź, took the stage to present the in-progress of e-learning platform. This platform will serve as a vital tool for reskilling workers, empowering citizens, and facilitating knowledge transfer, with a planned launch by the end of 2023.
EURADA further played a leading role by hosting two of the six tables during the thought-provoking ‘World Café’ session. The tables focused on Stakeholder Network and the E-Learning Platform, respectively. The insights garnered from these discussions enabled the identification of areas requiring further attention, prompted a shift in approach, and pre-emptively addressed potential future challenges that had not been initially considered.
Throughout the assembly, the importance of making substantial progress in attaining established objectives was emphasised, with a keen eye toward identifying areas for improvement and proposing effective solutions. Undeniably, the General Assembly of the FRONTSH1Pproject stands as a crucial meeting point for all participants, underscoring the significance of collaboration and teamwork while showcasing how the amalgamation of diverse knowledge and skills has enriched the project as a whole.
In conclusion, the FRONTSH1P General Assembly served as a cornerstone event, uniting consortium members in pursuit of shared goals. The collaboration witnessed throughout these gatherings promises to propel the project toward even greater achievements, reinforcing the belief in the transformative power of collective effort and knowledge exchange towards a circular economy.
