From Genomics to Citizen Science: INCREASE Partners Gather in Bucharest

Right after the successful INCREASE conference on “Pulses: Bringing Diversity to Agrifood Systems”, the project’s consortium convened in Bucharest from 24 to 26 September 2025 for its Annual Meeting, hosted at the University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Science of Bucharest. The three-day event brought together project partners to share progress, strengthen collaborations and chart the next steps in advancing agrobiodiversity and sustainable food systems.

Science, Results and Future Directions Over the three days, INCREASE partners extensively exchanged scientific developments and results, covering a wide range of topics, from genotype-by-environment interactions and citizen science experiment analyses to nutritional profiling of legumes and genome-wide studies. Insights into the importance of the INCREASE Citizen Science Experiment for the Slovenian citizen science community highlighted the impact citizens can have while contributing to science.

The consortium engaged in in-depth scientific discussions throughout, complemented by further workshops and strategic planning sessions. Dedicated workshops focused on the INCREASE WebPortal, through which the project results will be made available, and exploitation pathways, ensuring that research outcomes translate into tangible impact.

Strategic discussions on dissemination, communication and final reporting underlined the importance of outreach and stakeholder engagement as the project moves toward completion.

Strengthening Collaboration and Looking Ahead Beyond the formal sessions, the excellent organisation of the event by Creola Brezeanu of the Vegetable Research and Development Station Bacău and her dedicated team allowed for participants to join additional networking events, cultural visits and dedicated group meetings, fostering stronger connections across disciplines and regions.

The meeting concluded with a general discussion and closing remarks from INCREASE project coordinator Roberto Papa of the Politechnic University of Marche and Creola Brezeanu, underlining INCREASE’s commitment to combining cutting-edge science with citizen participation to secure and promote Europe’s legume diversity.