The saying “All roads lead to Rome” had certainly held true for RELIANCE partners who gathered last week in the ancient city spread on seven hills, for their 6^th management meeting.

The event hosted by the University of Rome Tor Vergata and Policlinico Militare di Roma comprised a busy schedule, dense with presentations on work progress, challenges encountered on the way and effective solutions for alleviating potential repercussions on follow on activities of interconnected packages.

The project has entered its mid phase, expected to deliver more than 10 deliverables by the end of May, and reach two more milestones, deriving from the completion of the development and up-scaling of the copper doped silica mesoporous nanoparticles, their antimicrobial functionalization and the development of the nanoparticles’ dispersion matrix as well as the development and upscaling of the organic coating formulations.

Along with that, the consortium is preparing for its first Review Meeting in February, to report on results and key achievements. Opportunities to continue coordinating next steps were not missed even during coffee and lunch breaks while enjoying the delicious Italian cuisine and flavorful espresso.

Excited with the impressive research progress it had scored so far, the group was happy to delve into an insightful tour of Rome and learn more about the history of the Colosseum and the gladiator battles, Basilica of San Clemente, Basilica di San Giovanni, the Vatican and so much more. Despite the drizzle, it was a beautiful evening, dissolving into a cozy dinner embraced with the fragrance of homemade bread and pasta, lively chatter, laughter and optimism for what’s next.