MAMBO successfully convened its second annual consortium meeting from September 18th to 20th this year in Valletta, Malta. Hosted by MAMBO's partners from Ecostack Innovations Limited, Valletta Cluster Design provided the ideal backdrop for the annual consortium gathering.
The primary objective of this event was to discuss the outcomes achieved across different work packages within MAMBO. Engaging dialogues were a hallmark of the meeting, fostering an exchange of valuable insights and feedback from partners. These discussions underscored the crucial role of collaboration among various work packages in driving the project's overarching goals to fruition.
The meeting brought together a diverse group of participants, coming from Aarhus University (AU), University of Reading (UREAD), Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), University of Amsterdam (UvA),Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Naturalis), UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), The French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), Pensoft Publishers (Pensoft), National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (INRIA) and of course our hosts from Ecostack Innovations Limited (EcoINN).
On Monday, September 18th, project coordinator Toke Thomas Høye officially launched the meeting, providing an overview of the forthcoming three days.Setting the stage for the proceedings, he then gave the floor to all Work Package and Task Leaders to share insights into the progress achieved in the past year and providing a glimpse into the forthcoming plans and upcoming activities that lie ahead in the coming 12 months.
On the second day of the Annual General Meeting, the focus shifted to various discussion sessions. To kick things off, the Advisory Board Members took the stage. They presented thought-provoking insights and posed pertinent questions after being briefed on the progress made by MAMBO partners. A dedicated plenary session was organized in breakout rooms, allowing participants to engage in discussions regarding the challenges they have encountered while executing project work tasks. The aim was to brainstorm potential solutions and ways to overcome these obstacles in the future. Later, Lois Kinneen and Deepa Senapathi conducted a workshop focused on emphasizing the significance of engaging with relevant stakeholders. They also led an interactive activity centered around the concept of 'Stakeholder Mapping.'
The final day MAMBO partners took a field trip to Marsaskala, Malta and had the chance to participate in two engaging workshops that demonstrated the MAMBO field equipment in action. These sessions highlighted the equipment's practical applications in assessing local flora and fauna within the varied habitats surrounding the region. Additionally, the workshops served as a testing ground for software applications and functionalities. This testing took place in two highly biodiverse locations where the NGO Nature Trust is actively working to restore a rare Maltese saline wetland ecosystem.
