Month: May 2025

Prof. Fabiana Arduini from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, a valued partner of RELIANCE project, was a distinguished plenary speaker at the 7th International Symposium on Electrochemistry, held from April 13th to 16th, 2025, in Durban, South Africa. The symposium, titled “Electrochemical Solutions for a Sustainable Future,” provided a vibrant platform for researchers to exchange cutting-edge developments in electrochemistry and foster new collaborations.

Prof. Arduini’s lecture focused on “Paper-based electrochemical (bio)sensors for sustainable analysis”. It captivated the audience as she outlined the roadmap and significant advancements achieved by her team in the realm of paper-based electrochemical (bio)sensors, highlighting their ongoing work and accomplishments within the Horizon Europe projects RELIANCE and Phoenix-OoC.

The presentation showcased impressive results demonstrating the potential of paper-based electrochemical (bio)sensors as an innovative biosensing technology for the rapid and convenient detection of viruses and bacteria on various surfaces. This technology holds significant capability for diverse applications, contributing to more sustainable and efficient analytical methods.

The 7th International Symposium on Electrochemistry, hosted at the scenic Maharani Hotel in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, attracted leading researchers working across a broad spectrum of electrochemistry and related fields. The scientific program encompassed key themes such as sensors and biosensors, electroanalytical chemistry, electrochemistry for water treatment, energy, environment, food, process industries, electrocatalysis, electrochemistry of materials, and computational electrochemistry.

Organized by the Electrochem SA division of the South African Chemical Institute (SACI), this prestigious international event underscored the dynamic and interdisciplinary nature of electrochemistry and its crucial role in addressing contemporary challenges. The symposium facilitated the sharing of the latest research findings and encouraged the establishment of valuable partnerships within the electrochemical community.

In the beginning of April, RELIANCE project enjoyed the opportunity to join leading European-funded projects in the field of advanced materials and nanoscience for an engaging workshop to kick off the Collab4Resilience (C4R) – an initiative led and coordinated by the CheMatSustain project under the motto Stronger Together in Science and Sustainability. The initiative aims to make a significant step towards stronger partnerships, recognizing the transformative potential of nanotechnology and the importance of Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) strategies in achieving a climate-neutral, circular economy. Hosted online, the event gathered experts from a diverse group of projects to explore opportunities for collaboration focused on joint communication and dissemination efforts, while promoting innovation in chemicals, materials, and nanotechnology research. All attendees welcomed the opportunity to contribute their expertise and benefit from the collective knowledge of the newly forming C4R network.

The meeting’s agenda focused on six core collaboration areas designed to maximize visibility and impact for all participating projects:

– Coordinated social media efforts, to include a dedicated LinkedIn group to enable timely sharing and amplification of project updates, driving broader engagement and awareness;

– Crafting a joint newsletter to cross-promote news, events and partner interviews, expanding the reach of each project’s achievements and fostering a culture of mutual support;

– Discuss opportunities for co-authored scientific papers, joint policy briefs and promotion of open-access repositories. This approach aims to accelerate scientific progress and ensure research findings are widely disseminated;

– Projects to curate shared YouTube playlists, featuring introductory and promotional videos from across the cluster, facilitating stakeholders and the public in discovering related initiatives;

– Plan co-organized events, share access to trainings and training schools and promote each other’s conferences and webinars, such as the upcoming Raw Materials Week and Venice Training School;

– Develop new joint activities, including joint website articles, webinars, and subgroup campaigns focused on common research interests.

Sharing a Vision for Resilience and Sustainability

The Collab4Resilience initiative embraces synergies among EU-funded projects, with a vision to accelerate progress in safety and sustainability, bringing several clear benefits to its members:

– Stronger impact by combining communication channels and resources to reach broader audiences, ensuring projects’ research and innovations have greater societal and industrial influence.

– Accelerated innovation through joint scientific activities and shared best practices by speeding up the development and adoption of advanced, safe and sustainable materials and processes.

– Stronger networks that are opening doors to new partnerships, knowledge exchange, and coordinated response to shared challenges.

– Supporting policies through policy briefs and position papers, making the voice of the cluster heard in the shaping of European research and regulatory agendas.

In summary, this synergy meeting set the foundation for a collaborative, innovative and impact-driven partnership within Collab4Resilience, with clear mechanisms for communication, shared learning, and an agile alliance to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities along its path to achieving common sustainability goals.