On 22–23 September 2025, PREVENT partners came together in Gorizia, Italy, for the project’s 4th Plenary Meeting, kindly hosted by ISIG – Istituto di Sociologia Internazionale di Gorizia.

The meeting marked a key moment for PREVENT, as the project transitions into its piloting phase. Partners reviewed progress across all work packages, shared lessons from the pre-pilot activities, and coordinated next steps for the upcoming implementation in the three pilot sites – Catalonia (Spain), Greece, and Sweden.

 Reviewing progress and preparing for pilots

Across two intensive days, partners presented updates on:

  • Project management and coordination (WP1), including amendments, new partners joining from Sweden and Greece, and preparation for the next cluster meeting in Barcelona.

  • Interventions design and pre-pilot outcomes (WP3 & WP4), with schools in all three nodes actively involved in co-creation and testing innovative tools such as the GeoENV mobile app (Sweden), the Healthy Chef game (Greece), and the Daily Mile platform (Catalonia).

  • Digital solutions for healthier behaviours (WP4), including the bilingual PREVENT chatbot in Greece and Catalonia, designed to support healthy eating habits among children.

  • Policy, ethical and social aspects (WP4 & WP7), emphasising co-creation with communities, schools, parents and health professionals, as well as ensuring compliance with GDPR and ethical standards.

  • Evaluation frameworks (WP5), where partners advanced the development of the Multi-Domain Assessment Matrix (MUDAM), economic evaluation methods, and integration with existing health policies.

  • Communication and dissemination (WP8), with updates on campaigns, newsletters, and the project’s contribution to the Cancer Mission cluster.

 A stakeholder roundtable bridging local and European perspectives

The second day also featured a roundtable with regional stakeholders on “Health, Nutrition and Schools: Local Experiences and European Perspectives”. The discussion brought together representatives from the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia, IRCSS Burlo Garofalo, Azienda Sanitaria Friuli Occidentale – Pordenone, and the University of Udine.

This exchange provided an opportunity to:

  • Share PREVENT’s early results and lessons from the pre-pilot phase.

  • Present ongoing health promotion initiatives in schools across Friuli Venezia Giulia.

  • Stimulate synergies between local actions and PREVENT’s European-level objectives.

 

Next steps

With the piloting phase about to begin, PREVENT partners are turning their attention to the practical work ahead. Over the coming months, data will be collected across the three pilot sites, feeding into a process that not only tests the interventions but also helps map out their potential for wider upscaling. This technical work will go hand in hand with continued co-creation, ensuring that schools, families and communities remain at the heart of the project. At the same time, partners will start shaping policy recommendations aimed at strengthening cancer prevention through healthier lifestyles. The consortium left Gorizia with renewed energy and a clear roadmap, confident that PREVENT is on the right track to make a meaningful contribution to reducing childhood obesity and its long-term health risks.