In the middle of last February, the partners of the BonaRes Centre for Soil Research met for the first time in a larger group for a closed conference in Machern – an idyllic community near Leipzig. The objectives of this 3 day exchange, which also hosted a member of the project funder , was getting to know each other better and to intensify interactions regarding concepts and approaches of the single work packages.
All in all around 30 people of the BonaRes Centre partners UFZ, ZALF, TUM, Senckenberg and BGR took part in the conference. Coordinator Ute Wollschläger introduced her colleagues to the Centre’s motivation first, and continued by presenting objectives of the funding programme before interactive group discussions on the specific work packages started. The sessions were designed as world cafés where participating partners gathered to discuss different expectations and approaches and to also match them to BonsRes’ overall objectives.
Subject to discussion were not only contents of the knowledge portal to be developed, but also a common Data Centre as well as the establishment of a data policy. During the debates it was emphasized continuously that stakeholders need to be taken into account as well as the cooperation with all collaborative projects within the BonaRes programme analyzing specific questions of soil fertility in the context of a sustainable bioeconomy.
Overall, the conference brought together partners who have several different disciplinary backgrounds and approaches to soil research. It has encouraged a common understanding of different disciplinary approaches and built a base for an intense exchange within the work packages and beyond.