GEOSUMAT kick-off meeting

The kick-off meeting of the GEOSUMAT project took place shortly after most of the contracts with local funding agencies were signed. The project's official start is dated to the 1st of June 2022 and will last until the 31st of May 2025. Participants from all funded countries were present by delegates from universities (UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Czech Technical University in Prague, Babeș-Bolyai University and the Cracow University of Technology) or research institutes (Gerosion Ltd). All the industrial partners ReforceTech AS from Norway, CHEMSTR-ŠAFAŘÍK from the Czech Republic and Specjalistyczne Przedsiebiorstwo Gornicze sp. z o. o. from Poland connected through MS Teams and followed the whole discussion.

The meeting started with a warm welcome from Izabela Hager and an introduction to Cracow city history and to the Cracow University of Technology. Next, Iveta Novakova from UiT, leader of the GEOSUMAT project, took a word after Izabela Hager and went through the agenda for the two day kick-off meeting. The introduction of individual project partners followed, and a good atmosphere was established in the meeting room and even with industrial partners who joined online. Administrative and organization tasks took place before lunch, arranged at the PK canteen. The day continued with a laboratory visit and discussion of partner competence in the field of geopolymer binders. The dinner was scheduled after the city tour with a local guide, which was a perfect form of team-building.

The second day of the kick-off meeting consisted of detailed planning of individual WPs, WP leaders responsibilities, project milestones and form of collaboration (visits, study stays for students, meetings, conferences for publishing of results, etc.)

All partners agreed that the meeting was successful and look forward to intensive collaboration during the project.