EVENT
2-3 May 2024, Politecnico di Milano
We would like to recap the successful kick-off meeting of the STAPLES project, which took place some months ago at the Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering of Politecnico di Milano. Though time has passed since that event, the momentum created during those two days continues to drive the project forward as we work together to strengthen the cereal value chain and enhance food security in the MENA region.
Representatives from nine partner organizations, spanning two European regions and two MENA regions (Morocco and Egypt), along with officers from the PRIMA Program, came together to exchange ideas, set goals, and lay the groundwork for the project’s first months. The event, hosted by Politecnico di Milano, served as a platform for productive discussions on how the STAPLES project will understand the external stressors and shocks threatening local cereal supply chains and food security in the MENA region.
The project partners—coming from academia, research organizations, and the private sector—also aligned on key aspects of project management, financial procedures, and communication strategies to ensure a smooth collaboration over the coming years.
Key sessions included:
- An introduction to the PRIMA Program and its financial reporting and monitoring procedures.
- A detailed presentation of the STAPLES project, outlining the work packages (WP) dedicated to understanding external stressors (WP1), developing innovative solutions (WP2 and WP3), and designing decision-support tools (WP4).
- Strategic discussions on communication, dissemination, and exploitation of project results (WP5).
The meeting concluded with the consolidation of the project roadmap, ensuring all partners are aligned on the objectives and steps needed to effectively monitor STAPLES’ progress and impact over the coming months.
