📅 Date : 26 March 2026

📍 Location: El Mouradi Gammarth Hotel, Tunis, Tunisia
📦 NGS-4-ECOPROD Work Package: WP4 – Dissemination, Exploitation, Communication, and Data Management

The NGS-4-ECOPROD Closing Ceremony was held on 26 March 2026 at El Mouradi Gammarth Hotel in Tunis, marking the successful completion of the project and providing an opportunity to showcase its major achievements, scientific outcomes, and future perspectives.

The event brought together representatives from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the University of Sfax, the Horizon Europe Program Management Unit (UGPO Horizon Europe Tunisia), project partners, researchers, and stakeholders from the scientific and innovation ecosystem.

The opening ceremony featured welcome addresses from Prof. Slim Tounsi, Director General of the Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax and Project Coordinator, Prof. Ahmed Hadj Kacem, President of the University of Sfax, Prof. Helmi Merdassi, Director General of the Horizon Europe Program Management Unit, and Prof. Mourad Bellassoued, Head of the Office of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Their interventions highlighted the importance of international cooperation, capacity building, and research excellence in strengthening Tunisia’s integration into the European Research Area.

A comprehensive overview of the NGS-4-ECOPROD project was presented by Prof. Slim Tounsi, who summarized the project’s objectives, key achievements, and impact on research and innovation capacities at the Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax.

The ceremony also featured contributions from the European partners. Dr. Heiko Liesegang (Georg-August University Göttingen, Germany), leader of WP2, and Prof. Joel Lachuer (Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, France), leader of WP3, reflected on the project’s achievements in strengthening next-generation sequencing (NGS) capacities and improving technical expertise. They also discussed opportunities for future collaborations and the sustainability of the partnerships established through the project.

A dedicated scientific session focused on the progress achieved under WP1 – Development of Innovative Eco-Biotech Products through NGS Technology Exploitation. The leaders of the different research tasks presented the scientific advances obtained in the project’s flagship research areas, including:

• Development of innovative extremozymes for industrial applications;
• Design of next-generation sporeless biopesticides;
• Production of ergothioneine as a high-value bioactive compound;
• Development of sustainable bioplastics from microbial resources.

The event concluded with an interactive discussion session, followed by a networking lunch that enabled participants to exchange ideas and explore future research and innovation opportunities beyond the project’s lifetime.

As a major dissemination and communication activity under WP4, the Closing Ceremony successfully highlighted the scientific achievements, capacity-building outcomes, and international partnerships established through NGS-4-ECOPROD, while paving the way for future collaborative initiatives in microbial genomics and sustainable biotechnology.