The EXCEL4MED consortium recently gathered on 30-31 January 2025 in Montpellier (France) for the project’s Annual Meeting, hosted by CIHEAM-IAMM.

Partners from Greece, Malta and France came together for two days of in-depth discussions, strategic planning and networking, reinforcing their shared commitment to building a more sustainable and innovative Mediterranean fruit supply chain.

Day 1: Project progress and deliverables

The first day of the meeting was dedicated to assessing the project’s progress and setting the direction for the next phases. Work Package leaders presented key milestones, highlighting advancements in research, innovation and stakeholder engagement.

The discussions provided a comprehensive overview of EXCEL4MED’s ongoing work, including:

• Work Package 1 (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens): Project management updates.
• Work Package 2 (The Malta Chamber): Cross-border joint research and innovation strategies.
• Work Package 3 (ELGO-DIMITRA): Strengthening academia-business linkages.
• Work Package 4 (Smart Agro Hub, CIHEAM-IAMM, The Malta Chamber): Action and investment plans for implementing sustainability strategies.
• Work Package 6 (Smart Agro Hub): Communication and dissemination efforts.

The afternoon sessions focused on the presentation of key project deliverables, showcasing major research findings and practical applications:

• Deliverable D1.5: Data Management Plan III (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens).
• Deliverable D2.3: Co-Creation Workshop with Relevant Stakeholders to Fill in the Business Model Canvas (Smart Agro Hub).
• Deliverable D2.4: Living Labs Report on the Effectiveness of Current Business Models, Governance, and Innovation (Malta Enterprise, CIHEAM-IAMM).

An interactive Q&A session allowed partners to exchange perspectives and discuss strategies for moving forward, closing the day with a strong sense of collaboration and shared purpose.

Day 2: Networking and knowledge exchange

The second day of the Annual Meeting shifted focus towards networking and dissemination, bringing EXCEL4MED together with other EU-funded research and innovation projects working towards sustainability in the Mediterranean agri-food sector.

The session featured presentations from the following EU-funded projects:

• TRANSIT: training the next generation of food scientists by integrating microbiology, food processing, and consumer sciences to develop sustainable food technologies.
• NOVISHPAK: developing biodegradable, antimicrobial packaging for fish using seaweed-derived materials and smart spoilage indicators to reduce food waste.
• MED-LINKS: empowering small-scale farmers with efficient, fair, and sustainable solutions to improve supply chains through IT tools and quality standards.
• DIONYSUS: advancing sustainable Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus solutions by co-developing strategies to future-proof agriculture across the Mediterranean.

These exchanges allowed participants to explore potential synergies, discuss shared challenges and identify collaboration opportunities, reinforcing EXCEL4MED’s role within the broader European research and innovation landscape.

With insightful discussions, valuable knowledge-sharing, and new opportunities for collaboration, the Annual Meeting marked an important step forward for our project.

The next Annual Meeting is planned for January 2026, but in the meantime, the consortium remains committed to advancing research, engaging stakeholders, and driving impactful innovation — to stay updated on our latest activities, follow EXCEL4MED on social media and our website!