The ReLEAF consortium held its bi-annual meeting in Cesena, Italy, hosted by the University of Bologna (UNIBO). This regular gathering provides partners with an opportunity to review the project’s progress, present preliminary results, and plan the next phase of activities.
Over two days, each work package presented updates on completed and ongoing tasks, shared insights from recent research, and discussed next steps. The meeting also provided space for coordination and feedback to ensure that activities across the consortium remain aligned and on track.
In addition to the presentations, partners UNIBO and Ecopesce organised site visits to showcase their contributions to ReLEAF. This was a great way to see in person how constant collaboration ensures a successful result.
At UNIBO, participants toured the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences laboratories, where researchers are developing microbial biomasses from fish wastewater to be used as plant biostimulants and biocontrol agents, as well as bio-based fertilisers (BBFs) produced from chitosan and collagen derived from fish and crustacean waste. These BBFs are being characterised in accordance with EU regulations and evaluated for their safety and quality.
The visit to Ecopesce offered an overview of the company’s fish cleaning and processing operations and demonstrated how production waste and wastewater are collected and analysed as part of the ReLEAF workflow. These by-products are later supplied to UNIBO for further biochemical analysis and substrate testing.
The meeting successfully facilitated knowledge exchange, strategic alignment, and technical discussions, reinforcing collaboration among partners as the project advances toward its next milestones.