The partners of the "Novel Biotechnological Solutions in Climate Change Mitigation" (BIOSHIELD) project convened at the University of Maribor’s Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences on March 17-18, 2026, for their third transnational meeting. This gathering marked a critical juncture as the project enters its final implementation phase, focusing on innovative educational tools to combat climate change.
Hosted by the University of Maribor (UM) in collaboration with the International Center for Ecoremediations, the two-day event brought together representatives from Greece (DUTH) (IU), Türkiye (COMU), Croatia (UNIN), and Slovenia (UM), along with technical partners from MELLIS (Türkiye). A central focus of the meeting was the review and finalisation of the project’s core digital outputs. Partners conducted a comprehensive revision of the Video Tutorials (WP3) and the Digital Handbook (WP4). Currently, most handbook chapters, covering diverse biotechnological topics, have been completed, with final compilations and translations into partner languages scheduled for the coming months
With the project nearing its final stages, the partners detailed plans for student piloting activities. These activities will involve approximately 80 students across the partner universities, applying the developed curriculum through design thinking and blended learning methodologies. Furthermore, the meeting established the roadmap for a series of Local Conferences and Biotechnology Fairs set to take place between June and September 2026 in Alexandroupolis, Canakkale, Koprivnica, and Maribor. These events aim to disseminate the project's results to a wider audience of academics, students, and industry representatives.