The WATERMELLON project proudly participated in the PRIMA Partnership Day, held in Barcelona on 1-2 October 2025. This event brought together 65 projects from the 2023 and 2024 cohorts, with nearly 100 participants, offering a unique opportunity to connect, share experiences, and foster collaborations across the Mediterranean.
On the 2nd October, our Communication Manager, Maider Goñi Suberviola, presented WATERMELLON in a pitching session alongside other PRIMA-funded initiatives. The session highlighted each project’s objectives and innovative approaches to addressing the region’s pressing challenges. The event was a valuable platform to build synergies beyond individual initiatives, reaching a common audience across the Mediterranean. By combining ancient agricultural knowledge with innovative solutions, projects like WATERMELLON are tackling critical issues such as water scarcity and soil salinity, especially for smallholder farmers.
A warm thank you goes to the teams of VENUS (Dr. Luna Al-Hadidi) and NUSTALGIC (Dr. Marta Wilton Vasconcelos), as well as to PRIMA officer Fabrice Dentressangle, for their openness and collaborative spirit, which made these exchanges truly meaningful.
PRIMA Partnership Day highlights that behind every project, grant, and report are people working together – researchers, coordinators, visionary leaders, partners, evaluators, experts, and PRIMA staff – united in addressing the shared challenges of the Mediterranean region. During the technical sessions, program officers offered guidance on key project management and reporting practices, supporting all participants in achieving their common goals.
Some initiatives highlighted at the event include:
- Join the WEFE4MED NCoP – building a community of practice around Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus solutions.
- PRIMA Specific Impact Pathway – mapping projects’ contributions to sustainable impact.
- Demo SITE localization – visualizing project activities across the region.
Events like PRIMA Partnership Day are crucial for building a strong Mediterranean research community, sharing knowledge, and creating collaborative solutions for sustainable agriculture and climate-resilient farming. WATERMELLON will continue to engage with the community through upcoming events: