RETOUCH NEXUS 6th General Assembly – Aligning for the Final Stretch

As we enter the final phase of the RETOUCH NEXUS project, our consortium gathered in Bratislava on April 20–21, 2026 for our 6th General Assembly, hosted by our partners at the Slovak University of Agriculture (SUA)!

On the agenda: reviewing progress from the second reporting period, focused discussions on our three key priorities, modelling & governance, training & upscaling, and stakeholder engagement, and a field visit to irrigation infrastructure in the Slovak countryside!

Day 1: Three Priorities, One Direction

Case study leaders kicked off the day with quick-fire overviews of what was achieved in RP2 and what’s coming in RP3. The rest of the day was structured around the three key priorities that will define the project’s final push: translating modelling outputs into policy-relevant tools, scaling up training and outscaling activities, and deepening stakeholder engagement across all case studies. A “Lightning Round” closed the afternoon, with every Work Package and case study team outlining their next concrete steps, followed by a group discussion to align our collective efforts heading into RP3.

Day 2: Into the Field

The second day took partners out of the conference room and into the heart of the Slovak agricultural landscape. We visited BONUM in Dunajská Lužná and an irrigation and potato processing facility in Kráľová pri Senci, a grounding reminder of the real-world water challenges that RETOUCH NEXUS is working to address.

Looking ahead

The Bratislava General Assembly reinforced our shared commitment to delivering integrated, impactful results before the project closes. From governance frameworks and modelling tools to stakeholder toolkits, the final stretch is taking shape. Stay tuned!

Reliving the moment: highlights from the Meeting!