• DISCO consortium at its 3rd Progress Meeting in Murighiol, Romania
    DISCO consortium at its 3rd Progress Meeting in Murighiol, Romania
  • Presentation of DISCO results
    Presentation of DISCO results
  • Young scientists present their work (Thunazzina Ali from Royal Holloway and Bedford New College)
    Young scientists present their work (Thunazzina Ali from Royal Holloway and Bedford New College)
  • Presentation of Work Packages during the 3rd DISCO Progress Meeting
    Presentation of Work Packages during the 3rd DISCO Progress Meeting
  • DISCO partners at the 3rd Progress Meeting
    DISCO partners at the 3rd Progress Meeting
  • DISCO partners getting ready for a tour through the Danube Delta
    DISCO partners getting ready for a tour through the Danube Delta
  • DISCO partners about to board the boat
    DISCO partners about to board the boat
  • But soon the weather turned to the worst
    At the beginning everything seemed calm, but soon the weather turned to the worst
  • Cold winds and the starting rain made the partners move closer together
    Cold winds and the starting rain made the partners move closer together
  • DISCO Coordinator Paul Fraser defying the weather
    DISCO Coordinator Paul Fraser defying the weather
  • Marvelous view over the Danube Delta
    Marvelous view over the Danube Delta
  • The Danube Delta, UNESCO World Heritage Site
    The Danube Delta, UNESCO World Heritage Site

DISCO consortium on a guest visit to Romania

3rd Progress Meeting held at Danube Delta

September 29, 2016

From 17 to 21 September 2016, the DISCO consortium came together for its 3rd Progress Meeting. The meeting was hosted by the Romanian DISCO partner institution Proplanta, headed by Prof. Carmen Socaciu. The DISCO group met in the small town of Murighiol in close proximity to the Danube Delta. The UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most international rivers on the planet connecting several European countries, made this seem like a perfect place to meet for the multi-national alliance of DISCO experts.

The first meeting day was dedicated to presentations by the academic and industry partners who described their progress since last year’s Project Meeting, held in Brussels, November 2015. These presentations elaborated on significant findings dissemination and training activities carried out by the partners and also the commercialisation potential of project results.

During the first half of the day, five early stage researchers (ESRs) working within the DISCO team had the opportunity to present their work, gaining experience and receiving valuable feedback.

The meeting day was rounded off by a boat tour through the Danube Delta. Unfortunately, bad weather meant that the Danube Delta did not present its natural beauty. Instead the group was caught in a thunderstorm as daylight faded, but with the joint forces of the DISCO team members and the project coordinator navigating the boat through the winds and rain, everyone returned safe and sound back to the harbour.

The morning of the second day was used to present an overview of each work package, as well as a detailed discussion of upcoming project Deliverables and Milestones. The afternoon was dedicated to an Exploitation Session which was a follow up to the Exploitation Workshop held at the 2nd Progress Meeting. The partners were divided into three groups, according to the high-value compounds studied, and presented and discussed updates on the Key Exploitable Results obtained within the DISCO project.

Overall, the meeting was a great success. All participants used the opportunity to have intense discussions, strengthen the collaborations in the project and showcase that DISCO is making good progress towards the sustainable production of high-value plant products.