The RES4LIVE consortium met again, after its first semester, from 15th to 16th of April 2021. The 2nd Consortium Meeting was organised by our Italian colleagues in UNIBO and was held via teleconference, to comply with the current COVID-19 restrictions. Stefano Benni (UNIBO, Italy) opened and moderated the meeting, while over 45 participants from the 17 RES4LIVE partners, from industry and research, have been able to share preliminary results and to set the basis of the upcoming work steps. Project coordinator Dimitris Manolakos (AUA, Greece) presented the current stage of RES4LIVE. The participants from all the participating organizations introduced themselves and the newly formed Advisory Board – composed of notable professionals and academics – gave a brief presentation of their position and expertise. The major achievements within the eight Work Packages (WP) were presented to the consortium and next steps were discussed and decided. During the first day, the work done in the framework of the first three WPs was analyzed. The progress of adapting innovative Renewable Energy Sources (RES) technologies in livestock farm’s needs (WP1) was examined, and the preparatory work of identifying market available RES and energy efficiency solutions, machinery, and practices for livestock farms (WP2) was presented. The preliminary data gathered for the energy flows assessment, smart control, and simulation purposes (WP3), indicated that more excessive work in this context would be of great interest. The second day started with the discussion abouts the preparation of pilot farms for the implementation and testing of the RES4LIVE proposed solutions (WP4), a challenging task that will act as reference point for the whole project. The preparatory work regarding the needs of technical, socio-economic, and environmental assessment of the interventions in the pilot farms (WP5), showed that a proactive approach for the data acquisition should be followed. In the field of clustering, communication, and dissemination activities (WP6, WP7), our first Cluster formation, as well as the established presence in social media, were introduced. Also, an overview of the work done from the managerial perspective (WP8) and the necessary actions to be taken for the efficient continuance of the project, was given by the project coordination team. The 2nd RES4LIVE Consortium Meeting was concluded with the hope to meet again next October, this time – conditions permitting – in person. The RES4LIVE project: “Energy Smart Livestock Farming Towards Zero Fossil Fuel Consumption” receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, under Grant Agreement No. 101000785. To find out more, visit RES4LIVE official website, as well as our social media accounts (LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook), or contact Project Coordinator Prof. Dimitris Manolakos (dman@aua.gr), and Assistant Project Manager Dimitrios Tyris (dtyris@aua.gr).
