The last general assembly for REACT consortium took place between the 6th and 8th June in the Lesvos. The host, this time, was the University of the Aegean that has its premises in the beautiful town of Mytilene, and Stergios Vakalis did a great job in organizing the meeting and other related activities.
During the assembly, demonstrations of planned activities in Inis Mor, Carloforte, and La Graciosa were presented, highlighting the current situation and future steps for each location. The discussions also revolved around the deployment status of the REACT platform services, data collection, and operational and maintenance tasks post-project. Discussions were focused on the main work carried on during the period (overall progress), what were the mostsignificant results and activities implemented, and deviation and corrective actions implemented when it had been necessary. We also reflexed what were the reasons for failures to achieve critical objectives and/or not being on schedule. One of the most important topics of the event was the talks on the validation and replication plan. The possibilities for bigger islands to adopt the REACT model is an opportunity to further develop the project results and scale it up.
Partners held an open discussion to see each other views on the validation of the REACT project’s use cases, but also on the assessment of the REACT project’s results in relation to STOS & KIs as well as to the exploitation roadmap. It is important that all the efforts carried out during these four years and a half can be present somehow in society. For that reason those in the meeting talked about the development of business models + scalability and replicability plans.
The assembly provided an opportunity for the project partners to assess the project’s use cases, evaluate the achieved results, and explore avenues for scalability and replicability. Business models and strategies for communication and dissemination of the project’s outcomes were also discussed, aiming to maximize the impact of the project. It is very important now to consolidate the Communication and dissemination of the validated REACT project’s results, in that sense this website will stay open for another 5 years and all public deliverables and scientific papers will be available in the Publication & results section but also in Zenodo.
Professor Dias Haralampopoulos gave us a great explanatory tour and visit to the lab were we could see all the technologies used at the department for the research activities on energy and sustainability.
The 9th General Assembly showcased the dedication and collaborative efforts of the consortium in decarbonizing energy systems on geographical islands. With a strong focus on sustainable practices and renewable energy integration, the REACT project continues to pave the way for a greener and more resilient future. We are confident the results from the project will help further advance in the path to islands green energy self-sufficiency. It has been a bumpy road with a pandemic in the middle but we all have learnt a lot and enriched our knowledge and improved our understanding of what are the needs for islands residents.
With great sadness we are ready to close the project but we take with us a brilliant experience that has enriched us all, both technically and humanly.
