MyZubster LIFE 2026: the consortium is taking shape

MyZubster LIFE 2026: the consortium is taking shape

Today brought several important developments for the MyZubster LIFE 2026 track.

The project is moving from early outreach toward a more structured consortium, with clearer roles around data, validation, replication and coordination.

ART-ER: concrete feedback and interest in WP6

After our discussion with ART-ER, we received detailed feedback on the project structure.

Their main recommendations were to:

soften the use of the term “Digital Environmental Passport” and use a more accurate environmental evidence/data terminology;
assign clear responsibilities to each partner at Work Package level;
secure a strong coordinating beneficiary for WP1;
involve one or two entities that actually own or govern the required environmental and water datasets.

ART-ER also expressed conditional interest in coordinating WP6 — Replication and Policy Uptake, once the consortium is completed with a credible lead coordinator and data-owning entities.

HERA: technical dialogue remains open

HERA clarified that this is not the right moment for them to launch a new LIFE collaboration, given several reuse-related initiatives already underway and the evolving regulatory context.

However, the technical dialogue remains open.

They asked us to first define the data architecture and specify exactly which information MyZubster needs and for what purpose. Once this is clear, HERA is available to evaluate how it may contribute and which technical information could potentially be made accessible.

This is a useful step because it pushes MyZubster toward a much more precise data model rather than a generic request for datasets.

Agrosistemi: strong call and potential data role

We also had a very positive call with Agrosistemi.

The discussion focused on a possible role as a Technical Data & Validation Partner, contributing real technical values and domain knowledge that could enrich the MyZubster environmental database and support pilot validation.

The potential contribution includes data and expertise related to areas such as:

water;
sludge and organic matrices;
nutrients;
resource recovery;
circular economy;
technical and environmental KPIs.

We are now waiting for their written follow-up to formalize the next step.

University of Bologna: possible coordinating role

A particularly important development came from the University of Bologna.

Prof. Renata Archetti confirmed that UNIBO has extensive experience with LIFE projects and proposed a meeting this week to discuss the initiative.

A call has now been proposed for Thursday morning to evaluate whether UNIBO could potentially contribute as:

coordinating beneficiary / lead partner;
scientific partner;
expert on hydraulics, water and climate resilience.

The updated Concept Note and Consortium Matrix have already been shared for review.

Additional data owners and pilot candidates

We have also opened discussions with several organizations that could contribute data, infrastructure or demonstration sites, including:

ATERSIR;
Romagna Acque;
ARPAE;
AIMAG;
Consorzio di Bonifica della Romagna;
Consorzio della Bonifica Renana;
Futura Società Cooperativa Sociale.

BIOAZUL has also expressed interest in reviewing the initiative, particularly around circular-water methodology, Mediterranean transferability, stakeholder engagement and replication.

Public technical documentation on GitHub

To keep the technical side transparent while separating confidential consortium material, we also reorganized the public LIFE documentation in the MyZubster repository.

The public folder now focuses only on technical material:

Technical Architecture
Environmental Data Model
Implementation Roadmap
LIFE 2026 technical overview

Consortium negotiations, budgets, Letters of Intent, private datasets and partner-specific documents remain outside the public repository.

GitHub:
https://github.com/MyZubster-Ecosystem/myzubster/tree/main/docs/life-2026

Where we are now

The project is not yet a finalized LIFE consortium.

The main pieces still to close are:

a credible coordinating beneficiary for WP1;
at least one strong data owner / infrastructure partner;
formal written roles for the scientific and pilot partners;
confirmed access to the baseline data required for the demonstration.

But the structure is becoming much clearer.

MyZubster is increasingly taking shape as the digital MRV and environmental evidence layer connecting real-world operational data, technical validation and replicable environmental use cases.

The next milestone is no longer simply “finding interested organizations”.

It is turning the existing interest into formal roles, datasets, Work Packages and measurable pilot commitments.