Kick-off meeting in Novara

On 18–19 September 2024, the PREPSHIELD consortium officially launched its activities with a two-day Kick-off Meeting hosted at CRIMEDIM Headquarters and SIMNOVA – Simulation Center of the Università del Piemonte Orientale (UPO) in Novara, Italy.

The meeting brought together all 13 project partners from across Europe, including universities, research institutes, technology companies, civil society organisations, disaster relief organisations, healthcare actors, and public authorities. Together, they laid the foundation for the project’s collaborative work on inclusive and effective preparedness for future health crises.

Day 1: Setting the foundations

The first day opened with a warm welcome by the host, UPO, followed by an overview of PREPSHIELD’s objectives, methodology, and milestones. The European Commission Project Officer presented the grant agreement and key aspects of project monitoring.

A Partner Tour showcased the diverse expertise of the consortium — from social sciences and humanities (University of Groningen, University of Oslo, University of Zurich, TH Köln) to technical partners (CS Group, Sopra Steria, ICCS) and civil society actors (DSU, Hamburg, Romanian Red Cross, Martin Luther King Parish).

The afternoon featured the PREPSHIELD Tools Forum, where partners presented the tools they will develop, including:

Needs and perceptions analysis of vulnerable groups
Best practices for communication and inclusive preparedness
The PREPSHIELD platform and mobile app
Evaluation frameworks and training tools

Day 1 concluded with discussions on project management, communication, dissemination, and a networking dinner.

Day 2: Workshops and collaboration

The second day focused on interactive workshops. Partners worked in groups to plan early deliverables, including:

Need analysis and crisis communication framework
Policy recommendations for crisis preparedness
Development of the PREPSHIELD platform and mobile app
Stakeholder engagement and training programme

These sessions encouraged collaboration and provided a roadmap for the first six months of the project.

Looking ahead

The Kick-off Meeting marked an important milestone for PREPSHIELD, setting the stage for three years of collaborative work. The discussions in Novara highlighted the consortium’s strong commitment to developing inclusive, evidence-based, and technologically advanced solutions to improve Europe’s resilience in the face of future health crises.

📸 Sehen Sie sich unten einige Momente der Veranstaltung an.