HERA2 Final Meeting in Zagreb
From 2 to 4 September 2026, the official final meeting of the HERA2 project took place in Zagreb, Croatia. The meeting was hosted by the Croatian Institute of Public Health (CIPH), which welcomed representatives of the partner organizations AGES (Austria), the Greek National Public Health Organization (EODY), and the Hungarian National Centre for Public Health and Pharmacy (NNGYK). AGES was represented by participants from project management and the veterinary medicine and human medicine departments.
The meeting provided an opportunity to present the main achievements of the project, exchange experiences, and discuss shared lessons learned for future activities in the field of genomic surveillance.
The focus of the meeting was on reviewing the project duration and the results achieved. Key accomplishments included the expansion of the pathogen spectrum beyond SARS-CoV-2 to additional bacterial and viral pathogens, the strengthening of sequencing capacities, the further development of bioinformatics workflows, and the improved integration of laboratory, genomic, and epidemiological data. Proficiency testing, quality assurance activities, training, and knowledge exchange contributed significantly to the comparability and reliability of the results. Particular emphasis was also placed on the establishment of a strong professional network, which provides an important foundation for continued collaboration.
Another highlight of the meeting was a joint exchange session involving 45 participants from sister projects of the same HERA call, the project officer from the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), and a representative of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Experts from 20 different EU countries discussed challenges and opportunities in the areas of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), RT-PCR, metagenomics, bioinformatics, integrated genomic surveillance, and outbreak prevention.
The key conclusion of the final meeting emphasized the importance of sustainable implementation of project results, the long-term maintenance of professional networks, and institutional and political support. The participants agreed that the collaborations and competencies established within the framework of HERA2 provide an important foundation for future European initiatives in the fields of public health and genomic surveillance.
Last updated: 02.10.2026
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