2 September 2025—The Agriloop Executive Committee (ExCom) came together on September 2nd in Ghent, Belgium. A notable highlight of the event was the in-person participation of our Chinese research colleagues, building on the strong collaborative foundations established at the project’s 2nd Annual Meeting in Chengdu, China, earlier in the year.
This meeting served as a crucial follow-up, enabling EU and Chinese participants to engage in direct, substantive discussions on the project’s technical work packages (WPs), including the preparation of commons tasks from both sides. The agenda included a series of joint presentations, where partners provided updates on their progress in transforming agricultural residues into high-value biobased products, as well as discussing joint publication opportunities and next steps as the project progresses into its final year.
Following the ExCom, participant enjoyed a guided tour of the CAPTURE facilities, highlighting the current research capabilities at the University of Ghent and potential collaborative applications within the Agriloop project and beyond. The afternoon also featured dedicated scientific presentations, providing a platform for knowledge exchange. The presentations covered diverse expertise areas, including Prof. Jan Broeze’s work on early yield estimates from agri-residues, Prof. SHI Aimin’s plant protein innovations, Prof. David Bolzonella’s insights on anaerobic digestion in the EU agri-sector, and Associate Prof. HU Hui’s high-moisture extrusion technology developments.
During the ExCom, initial discussions were held to plan the final project meeting and stakeholder event for next year, with proposed locations in Rome or Barcelona. This event will present the final results of the project and include physical training sessions and visits to sites of interest for stakeholders which is an essential part of the project’s mission. Watch this space for more news to come about this in the near future.