Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FHERITALE (FOOD, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURES TO TACKLE EMERGING PRIORITIES)
Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30
Human activities, particularly industrialization and the widespread use of artificial materials, have significantly affected human, animal, and environmental health. These impacts have become increasingly worrisome as industrial processes continue to accelerate, causing a massive waste generation which contributes to pollution and worsens interconnected health issues, stressing the need for urgent action to address environmental degradation.
Despite growing research on such impacts, knowledge gaps persist. To understand the extent of these challenges, it is essential to adopt an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably harmonize and enhance the well-being of people, animals, and ecosystems (One Health approach). For this, having access to advanced technologies and services is essential. Research Infrastructures that offer cutting-edge tools for tackling challenges in health, environment, and food are key to improving our knowledge and research in these areas. Achieving this integration necessitates careful consideration of several key aspects. Interdisciplinary collaboration is a cornerstone of this process, demanding the engagement of diverse stakeholders, including policymakers, to ensure that solutions are contextually appropriate and impactful.
The FHERITALE project aims to landscape the services currently provided by European Research Infrastructures (RIs), and to highlight technological gaps by analyzing up-to-date literature on artificial materials at the micro- and nanoscale within the One Health framework. This includes identifying trends, clusters, and technological needs. In the medium term it will become possible to close such gaps through collaborative technological developments at RIs.
Despite growing research on such impacts, knowledge gaps persist. To understand the extent of these challenges, it is essential to adopt an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably harmonize and enhance the well-being of people, animals, and ecosystems (One Health approach). For this, having access to advanced technologies and services is essential. Research Infrastructures that offer cutting-edge tools for tackling challenges in health, environment, and food are key to improving our knowledge and research in these areas. Achieving this integration necessitates careful consideration of several key aspects. Interdisciplinary collaboration is a cornerstone of this process, demanding the engagement of diverse stakeholders, including policymakers, to ensure that solutions are contextually appropriate and impactful.
The FHERITALE project aims to landscape the services currently provided by European Research Infrastructures (RIs), and to highlight technological gaps by analyzing up-to-date literature on artificial materials at the micro- and nanoscale within the One Health framework. This includes identifying trends, clusters, and technological needs. In the medium term it will become possible to close such gaps through collaborative technological developments at RIs.
During the initial months of the FHERITALE project, the Consortium focused on activities aimed at defining key thematic priorities, mapping available services and conducting a comprehensive cross-thematic landscape. The aim of this analysis was to obtain an overview of the services currently available through European RIs and to categorise the technologies in use for research in the target area of the project.
More in detail, the activities included:
- an extensive bibliometric analysis of current research to identify thematic priorities, which resulted in a database of over 800 papers providing a comprehensive overview of the current research landscape on micro- and nano-scale material particles, from the standpoint of the potential impact on health, published on Open Research Europe (https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.20244.1(opens in new window))
- engagement with a number of external experts covering different areas of research and knowledge, including a two-day “brainstorming retreat” with representatives of European RIs and other experts in Utrecht
- definition of FHERITALE's key thematic priorities and some associated R&I topics, as outlined in a published white paper (https://zenodo.org/records/15222316(opens in new window))
- creation of the first catalogue of services currently available to the user community by surveying European RIs and setting the basis for completing the cross-thematic landscape (https://fheritale.eu/survey-outcomes(opens in new window))
- Building on the first catalogue of services and the bibliographic work, an extensive list of technologies currently used for research that align with the identified thematic priorities was obtained. The results were analysed to achieve a categorisation of services and technologies. In particular a classification of technologies according to their development needs and/or service readiness was achieved (https://zenodo.org/records/15862034(opens in new window)).
- A procedure for ongoing gap analysis was defined and validated through a focus group including project partners and external experts.
More in detail, the activities included:
- an extensive bibliometric analysis of current research to identify thematic priorities, which resulted in a database of over 800 papers providing a comprehensive overview of the current research landscape on micro- and nano-scale material particles, from the standpoint of the potential impact on health, published on Open Research Europe (https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.20244.1(opens in new window))
- engagement with a number of external experts covering different areas of research and knowledge, including a two-day “brainstorming retreat” with representatives of European RIs and other experts in Utrecht
- definition of FHERITALE's key thematic priorities and some associated R&I topics, as outlined in a published white paper (https://zenodo.org/records/15222316(opens in new window))
- creation of the first catalogue of services currently available to the user community by surveying European RIs and setting the basis for completing the cross-thematic landscape (https://fheritale.eu/survey-outcomes(opens in new window))
- Building on the first catalogue of services and the bibliographic work, an extensive list of technologies currently used for research that align with the identified thematic priorities was obtained. The results were analysed to achieve a categorisation of services and technologies. In particular a classification of technologies according to their development needs and/or service readiness was achieved (https://zenodo.org/records/15862034(opens in new window)).
- A procedure for ongoing gap analysis was defined and validated through a focus group including project partners and external experts.
In order to navigate the incredibly diverse landscape of artificial material research at the micro and nanoscale effectively, the FHERITALE project undertook a thematic prioritization. This process culminated in a highly productive retreat in Utrecht, where key external experts analyzed the findings of a survey targeting EU research infrastructures (RIs) and an extensive bibliographic review. As a direct result, FHERITALE identified and selected the materials and the research themes that will form the core focus of its cluster of services, namely micro and nanoplastics, bioplastics, plastic additives, and metal oxides.
In this context, the project defined a first catalogue of services currently available to the user community by surveying European RIs. This resource offers researchers across Europe a clear and comprehensive overview of available services in this dynamic field, undoubtedly empowering their work.
Thanks to these achievements it became possible to implement the ongoing gap analysis to pinpoint technological development needs, which would enable European scientists to scale up their research and deepen knowledge in this area that greatly impacts society.
Project activities conducted so far also highlighted key challenges which are requiring further attention and investment from stakeholders. First, the intrinsically multidisciplinary field of research raised a cogent need to have a shared terminology and vocabulary. It also highlighted an insufficient focus of current research effort on mitigation and practical applications. It demonstrated the need for a more flexible and comprehensive approach that widens research beyond the current size limits and material types. Significant gaps exist in environmental and human testing, particularly for bioactive particles, and in risk assessment for the food sector. Analytical challenges involve a lack of standardized samples, contamination issues, and underdeveloped nanoplastic detection methods, showing the need for robust reference materials. Furthermore, there is a strong demand for technological development in nanoplastic analysis, better training, increased inter-project collaborations.
In this context, the project defined a first catalogue of services currently available to the user community by surveying European RIs. This resource offers researchers across Europe a clear and comprehensive overview of available services in this dynamic field, undoubtedly empowering their work.
Thanks to these achievements it became possible to implement the ongoing gap analysis to pinpoint technological development needs, which would enable European scientists to scale up their research and deepen knowledge in this area that greatly impacts society.
Project activities conducted so far also highlighted key challenges which are requiring further attention and investment from stakeholders. First, the intrinsically multidisciplinary field of research raised a cogent need to have a shared terminology and vocabulary. It also highlighted an insufficient focus of current research effort on mitigation and practical applications. It demonstrated the need for a more flexible and comprehensive approach that widens research beyond the current size limits and material types. Significant gaps exist in environmental and human testing, particularly for bioactive particles, and in risk assessment for the food sector. Analytical challenges involve a lack of standardized samples, contamination issues, and underdeveloped nanoplastic detection methods, showing the need for robust reference materials. Furthermore, there is a strong demand for technological development in nanoplastic analysis, better training, increased inter-project collaborations.