The PHISHES consortium met at BRGM in Orléans for two intensive and productive days (18-19 February 2026) of discussion, coordination, and hands-on work. The meeting was an important opportunity for partners to share progress across work packages, align on next steps, and plan upcoming activities as the project moves toward its first major outputs.
The meeting opened with a management overview, providing a clear update on the status of ongoing activities and the roadmap ahead. Partners reviewed timelines and agreed on priorities for the coming months, which will be particularly busy with event organisation and participation as the consortium begins presenting early results. The role of scientific publications was highlighted as a key channel for disseminating project outcomes in the period ahead.
The morning concluded with key points on the preparation of the technical report for the first reporting period, ensuring shared understanding of responsibilities, deadlines, and next actions. After lunch, which was an enjoyable moment to strengthen collaboration and exchange informally, the consortium moved into an afternoon focused on the crucial topic of stakeholder engagement. This session included presentations and interactive activities to clarify the planned engagement process and upcoming tasks, support the identification of PHISHES indicators for each pilot case, and explore effective ways to communicate model results to stakeholder.
The day ended with a laboratory tour at BRGM, offering a closer look at this innovative testing laboratory for soil and water remediation. The partners had the opportunity to explore the PRIME’s experimentation facilities housed in BRGM to develop and test remediation solutions for potentially hazardous substances.
Social moments were also an important part of the meeting. BRGM kindly organised a sightseeing visit to the Cathédrale Sainte-Croix d’Orléans and its crypt, followed by a shared French dinner, an excellent way to conclude the first day.
The second day was mainly dedicated to the PHISHES Digital Platform. After a short introduction, partners tested the tool and provided feedback to support the platform’s continued development ahead of its planned delivery in August. The morning continued also with presentation on model coupling strategies, discussions on common challenges across pilot sites, and technical presentation on Daisy model outputs and biodiversity.
In the afternoon, another interactive session focused on ecosystem services, exploring how to connect model outputs to soil functions, and soil functions to ecosystem services. Before closing the meeting, partners also addressed climate change data, including scenarios, modelling applications, and how these are being used for Zelivka. Future developments and next steps were also briefly introduced.
Step by step, PHISHES is progressing steadily, by strengthening collaboration, refining tools and methods, and building the foundation for impactful project results. The consortium leaves Orléans with a clear plan for the next phase of work and shared momentum toward upcoming milestones.
