Final Meeting
At the end of May 2026, the FOREST project officially reached its conclusion. To mark this important milestone, the consortium gathered at Gen2Carbon in Coseley, UK, for a two-day final meeting dedicated to reviewing results, aligning on final actions, and looking ahead to the future of FOREST outcomes.
On 27 May 2026, partners took part in the project Review Meeting, presenting the achievements of the final project period to the Project Officers. The agenda covered key areas of FOREST’s work, including manufacturing and testing of high-value multifunctional biocomposite components, environmental, economic and social analysis, dissemination and exploitation, and project management and risk monitoring.
The discussions provided valuable feedback and constructive input at a crucial moment for the project. They also highlighted the strong progress achieved by the consortium and the relevance of FOREST’s work in advancing lightweight, energy-efficient and more sustainable composite structures.
The programme also included a visit to the Gen2Carbon facilities, giving partners the opportunity to connect the project’s technical discussions with industrial practice and the technologies supporting the development of advanced materials.
The second day, held on 28 May 2026, focused on the FOREST demonstrators, with dedicated working sessions for the automotive, bus and aerospace demonstrators. Partners used these sessions to review the remaining tasks, clarify deadlines for the final reporting process, and discuss how the project’s results can move closer to market readiness.
One of the key outcomes highlighted during the meeting was the planned launch of a three-year PhD programme at Airbus, which will support the long-term maturation of the Material/Process pair developed within FOREST. This represents an important continuation of the project’s technical work beyond its official end and reflects the consortium’s commitment to ensuring that FOREST results continue to create value.
The meeting also underlined the importance of the gender dimension in research, innovation and transport — a topic strongly supported by the FOREST consortium. In parallel, partners discussed future collaboration opportunities, with several FOREST-related ideas already being explored and further funding opportunities under consideration.
Although the FOREST project has now officially ended, its results, partnerships and ideas continue to provide a strong foundation for future innovation, exploitation and collaboration in the field of sustainable lightweight materials.
