On 11–12 June 2025, representatives from the twelve organisations that form the ZEST consortium gathered in Riga, Latvia, for the project’s 3rd General Assembly, hosted by Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (LSIWC). The event marked a key milestone, taking place exactly one year after the official launch of the project.
This two-day meeting provided an important platform to review technical progress, strengthen collaboration, and explore synergies with other European initiatives working towards a more sustainable bioeconomy.
Day 1 – Strengthening synergies
The Assembly opened with a welcome from the Danish Technological Institute (project coordinator) and LSIWC. Each partner then presented updates from their respective Work Packages, highlighting the latest scientific and technological developments.
A central highlight of the day was a dedicated session on cooperation between ZEST and the EPIC-SHIFT initiative, featuring an online presentation by EPIC-SHIFT members followed by a group discussion to identify collaboration opportunities.
The day concluded with an interactive workshop where partners worked in teams to provide feedback to Work Package leaders, improve coordination, and anticipate potential challenges in the upcoming phases of the project.
Day 2 – Defining next steps
The second day began with presentations of the workshop outcomes. Proposed actions included:
- Installing additional test fermenters to accelerate progress.
- Advancing the development of the prototype bioreactor.
- Defining digital models to support process optimisation.
- Expanding the mapping of Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) initiatives.
Partners also reviewed the updated roadmap for communication and dissemination, and addressed financial and administrative aspects of the project.
In the afternoon, participants visited the LSIWC laboratories, gaining first-hand insight into the Latvian partner’s facilities and their contributions to advancing bioeconomy research.
