In the panel discussion concluding the Kick-Off Meeting in Espoo on 24 May 2023, the project’s Technical Advisory Board summed up their views and expectations of the Horizon Europe funded ISLANDR project in the following way:

“I have witnessed the very good energy during this Kick-Off Meeting, Go for it!"

"I was already convinced of the value of your project from its title”. Dr. Dietmar Müller-Grabherr

 

Dr. Dietmar Müller-Grabherr works with the Environment Agency Austria (EAA). His main national responsibitilies include supervising the national programme, chairing the working group “Risk assessment of contaminated sites” at the Austrian Standards Institute and acting as associated expert to the Austrian parliamentary Commission on the Remediation of Contaminated Sites.

“I am convinced you will deliver!"

"I can offer you a further test area in Germany should the need arise” Dr. Ingo Müller

Dr. Ingo Müller works as a Desk Officer with the Soil and Brownfield Department of the Saxon State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology since 2006, and in several other Federal State Offices and universities before.

“The ISLANDR Test Areas bring an excellent coverage of Europe to test and validate your envisioned tools” Dr. Liisa Pietola

Dr. Liisa Pietola is an adjunct profession at the University of Helsinki in soil sciences since 1998. Currently, she is leading specialist on sustainability solutions in transition of agriculture and forestry sectors in the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra (www.sitra.fi/en) and an expert member of the EU Mission Board Soil Deal for Europe. She has her feet on the ground as an active farmer.

“I should like to participate in all your planned meetings and discussions, your research will bring insights that will be very useful also in my own country!” Dr. Tetsuo Yasutaka

Dr. Tetsuo Yasutaka is Group Leader of the Geo-Environmental evaluation Research Group and Laboratory Leader of Research Laboratory for COVID-19 infection Risk Assessment at the Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan.

“We are not progressing at the JRC at the speed that is required to tackle the challenge of soil pollution and therefore all the knowledge you will be collecting about soil pollution is most welcome and will be most useful to JRC!” Dr. Diana Vieira

Dr. Diana Vieira is a Researcher in the Land Resources & Supply Chain Assessment Unit within the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission. She is dedicated to large scale soil erosion modeling, land degradation, healthy soils, and the assessment, fate, and remediation of soil pollution in EU Soils.