On 13–14 May 2026, the POMATO consortium gathered in Lisbon, Portugal, for the project’s M12 General Assembly. The meeting was hosted by Food4Sustainability (F4S) and took place in a hybrid format, bringing together partners both on site and online.
The General Assembly marked an important moment for the project, as partners reviewed the progress achieved during the first year of implementation and aligned priorities for the next phase of work. The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange updates across the different work areas of the project, strengthen collaboration between partners, and discuss the next steps towards developing effective strategies to support potato and tomato health.
During the two-day meeting, the consortium discussed the overall progress of POMATO’s scientific, technical, communication, and stakeholder engagement activities. Partners shared updates related to pathogen characterisation, early detection and surveillance tools, natural and biological control solutions, future validation activities, and dissemination efforts.
A strong focus was placed on the importance of collaboration between work packages and the integration of different research approaches. This is particularly important for POMATO, which combines expertise in plant pathology, microbiology, data analysis, sensor development, biocontrol, agronomy, communication, and stakeholder engagement.
The meeting also provided space to discuss future project activities, including validation and demonstration planning, stakeholder involvement, and dissemination actions aimed at increasing the visibility and impact of POMATO results.
The consortium was also pleased to continue involving members of the External Expert Advisory Board, whose expertise will support the project as it moves forward.
The M12 General Assembly was a valuable opportunity to reflect on the progress made so far and to prepare for the next implementation period. It also reinforced the strong collaborative spirit within the POMATO consortium and the shared commitment to developing innovative and sustainable solutions against bacterial diseases affecting potato and tomato crops.
A warm thank you goes to Food4Sustainability for hosting and organising the meeting, and to all partners for their active participation and contributions.
