On June 6th, SynGRID participated in the Synergies Coordinators Day in Brussels, an event aimed at fostering collaboration and innovation among leading projects. As one of the 16 initiatives selected in the pioneering “Pathways to Synergies” call, SynGRID was eager to engage with fellow innovators and share valuable insights.

Federica Roffi, Deputy Head of Unit REA.C.3. “Widening Participation,” warmly welcomed all participants to the event. Anna Panagopoulou, Director RTD.A. “ERA & Innovation,” congratulated all projects on the success in the call and encouraged us to put synergies into practice. Their opening remarks set the stage for an informative day with valuable insights.

The morning session featured a series of presentations from experts at the European Commission, covering topics such as project management, communication and dissemination, and financial and legal issues.

The afternoon session involved breakout discussions focused on building project networks and addressing barriers and challenges in project implementation. Participants engaged in conversations on leveraging established partnerships, overcoming the difficulties in commercializing research, clarifying misconceptions about funding, and highlighting the benefits of workshops to train and engage stakeholders effectively.

Additionally, we had the opportunity to connect with fellow projects from our call, including SynHealth, 6SAVA, PATTERN, and DemosAxia, fostering a collaborative spirit and exchange of ideas.

The purpose of the meeting was to provide key messages for successfully implementing our project, address any concerns or issues, introduce our Project Officer and Financial Officer, and engage in policy discussions with European Commission officials. This event also offered a unique opportunity to meet fellow coordinators in person, exchange information, learn from each other, and build a robust network.

We are especially grateful to our project coordinator, Agne Dobranskyte-Niskota, for her warm welcome and support throughout the day.