Parma, Jan. 14, 2026 - The University of Parma recently hosted the kick-off meeting of the European project BUILDERS - Building Resilience Through Citizen Science-Driven Approaches to Invasive Species, funded under the Horizon Europe - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Staff Exchanges programme and coordinated by the University of Parma.
The kick-off meeting took place at the Santa Elisabetta Center at the Science and Technology Campus and at the Main Building of the University of Parma, involving time dedicated to research, teaching and dialogue with the academic community and the territory.
BUILDERS involves 11 international partners - universities and research institutions - from different European countries (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Italy, Portugal, Romania) and Brazil, and is aimed at developing innovative and participatory approaches for the study and management of invasive alien species, integrating citizen science, ethology and functional ecosystem monitoring, and promoting staff mobility between European and international institutions.
The initiative is coordinated by Cristina Castracani and by Rossano Bolpagni, as scientific referee, from the Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability at the University of Parma.
The project involves universities belonging to the European Alliance EU GREEN, including the University of Parma, the University of Évora, and the University of Oradea.
The three days of work were devoted to the operational launch of the program and the coordination of the consortium. After an initial session introducing the partners and the expertise brought to bear on the initiative, the central part of the kick-off meeting was devoted to building the joint work, addressing key issues such as project governance, finalization of the Consortium Agreement, the MSCA rules for secondments, and planning of deliverables, milestones, and communication and data management activities.
The Project Officer of the European Research Executive Agency (REA) took part in the event (online), as well as Silvia Tavernini, in charge of the Office for Support for European and International Research, who delved into the administrative and reporting aspects of the MSCA program.
Particularly significant was the LEGO® Serious Play® session, which allowed participants to learn about and experience the method and work in a structured way on expectations related to BUILDERS, explored at the individual, institutional and societal levels. The insight also fostered shared reflection on criticisms and errors to avoid in project development, strengthening teamwork from the initial stages.
The second day was devoted specifically to research activities, with discussions on EU GREEN Work Packages 2, 3 and 4, aimed at translating the actions envisaged in the project proposal into concrete operational steps and building a shared timeline of secondments for the entire project duration.
The presentation of the project to University of Parma governance, the academic community and local stakeholders was the focus of the third morning: an open discussion with the territory in the hub of the Athenaeum. The Vice Rector Fabrizio Storti illustrated the University's actions in the area of Third Mission, with a focus on Citizen Science as a strategic tool for citizen engagement. Donato A. Grasso, Rector's Delegate for University Museums, presented the path that led to the creation of the MUST - Museum of Naturalistic Historiography, emphasizing its role in the dialogue between research, teaching and the public. Fulvio Celico, Director of the Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, outlined the Department of Excellence COMP-R project, highlighting the strong synergies with BUILDERS in terms of research, training and impact on the territory.
Representatives of the Municipality of Parma, Chiara Alessandrini and Marcello Nori, also spoke at the round table, recalling the importance of collaboration between the University and local governments on the themes of biodiversity, environmental sustainability and citizen science, in continuity with the initiatives already launched with the University.
There was then a guided visit to MUST - Museum of Naturalistic Historiography, which allowed the international partners to get a closer look at one of the most recent and representative spaces of the University of Parma's commitment to the enhancement of scientific heritage, dissemination and dialogue with citizens. The visit also offered an opportunity to reflect on the role of university museums as meeting places between research, teaching and society, in strong agreement with the objectives of the BUILDERS project.
The kick-off meeting finally closed with the first meetings of the project's governing bodies, marking a fundamental step for the start of BUILDERS activities in the coming years.
