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On 21 May 2026, the Purple4Life consortium gathered at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) in Móstoles, Madrid, for the project’s first Annual General Assembly, a key milestone one year into its journey towards more sustainable food and feed systems based on purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB)
Hosted by URJC and co-chaired with project coordinator University of Mons (UMONS), the meeting brought together partners from across the consortium for a comprehensive review of progress achieved during the first year of activity, as well as strategic discussions with the project’s Advisory Board.
The agenda was structured around dedicated sessions for each of the seven work packages (WPs), giving partner leads the opportunity to present achievements, ongoing activities, and upcoming milestones to the full consortium. WP1 was presented by Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), WP2 by Université de Mons (UMONS), and WP3 by Universidad Pablo de Olavide (UPO). After the coffee break, NOFIMA presented WP4, Imperial College London (ICL) led WP5, Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação (SPI ) addressed WP6, and UMONS closed the technical sessions with WP7.
This work package round provided a valuable opportunity to align research efforts, identify synergies, and address shared challenges as Purple4Life enters its second year of implementation.
A central moment of the day was the Advisory Board discussion, co-led by UMONS and the project’s external experts. The session offered the consortium valuable input on the scientific, regulatory, and market-related dimensions of the work carried out so far, helping to shape priorities for the coming phase.
The Assembly concluded with an optional visit to URJC’s laboratories and research centre, where partners had the opportunity to discover first-hand the facilities supporting the project’s experimental work.
The first Annual General Assembly reaffirms the strong collaborative spirit of the Purple4Life consortium and consolidates the foundations laid during the project’s initial year. As Purple4Life moves forward, the partnership remains committed to advancing the circular and sustainable production of purple phototrophic bacteria as health-promoting ingredients for food and feed applications, contributing to Europe’s transition towards a more sustainable bioeconomy.