On March 20th and 21st, the BETTER4U consortium convened in Vienna, Austria, for its second Plenary Meeting. This milestone event brought together partners from across Europe to reflect on the progress achieved in the first 18 months and to coordinate the next steps as the project enters a critical new phase.
Bringing Everyone Together
BETTER4U is composed of 28 organizations working toward a common goal: preventing obesity through biologically and behaviorally tailored interventions. This in-person meeting provided a valuable opportunity for partners to report task progress and discuss current and upcoming challenges. This occasion highlights the hard work needed from each of the partners that makes the project possible. As with the first Bi-annual meeting, the gathering reinforced a collaborative and solution-oriented atmosphere.
Looking Back and Looking Ahead
Over two productive days the consortium discussed what has been done so far for each of the nine work packages, covering project tasks, deliverables and contributions of each partner. The project remains on track with its goals and deadlines, and partners are ready to embrace together the next phase of the project. This meeting also marks a critical time point as it is the last time for partners to come together before the first formal review by the European Commission.
Each session had the opportunity for an open and detailed discussion. Although not all partners could attend in presence, everyone had the opportunity to contribute remotely. For the partner that attended in person, the meeting offered many opportunities for informal networking with coffee, lunch breaks and dinner. These interactions fostered new connections and reinforced collaboration and teamwork.
What’s Next?
The consortium is preparing to enter the next phase of the project where all the work done so far comes to light through academic research papers, the realization of the first prototype of the BETTER4U app and creation of the first pilot study in multiple EU countries. The coming months promise to be busy, but also rewarding and full of new opportunities to address the global public health challenge of obesity.
A special thank you to everyone who took part and contributed to the meeting in Vienna, that were listening and participating remotely and to everyone involved in the project to make personalized prevention of obesity a reality.
Stay tuned for the latest progress as the BETTER4U project transitions from theory to action, advancing healthier lifestyles and addressing obesity through innovative research and interventions.
