The year 2023 turned out to be a fantastic year both personally and professionally. In January 2023, we stepped into a new year after successful completion of half project year in 2022. In 2023, we have submitted a total of 9 deliverables and achieved 2 milestones; indeed, it was once again a great journey to work with our consortium members.

Since we had our first deliverable for the year 2023 by end of February, RHI Magnesita’s ReSoURCE team was very busy right from the start of the year in summing up the results for the deliverable. In March 2023, we had a deliverable in communications and it came out very good. In May 2023, we had two deliverables one regarding technical topics and another one from the communication side, both were successfully submitted in May 2023. In September 2023, we had a little delay in handing in one of our deliverables. It was the first time ever that we had a delay in submission since we could not acquire the required number of survey results for the deliverable. Anyhow, we have informed the project officer in advance and the deliverable will be submitted in November together with other 4 deliverables.

As a project coordinator, I was quite busy from Mid of April with arranging the M12 meeting for the consortium by sending emails and coordinating the work package meetings in Porsgrunn. The M12 meeting in Porsgrunn took place from June 12 to 14, 2023. It was very well organized by our consortium partner SINTEF. The whole consortium had great technical discussions and it was wonderful to meet and greet the consortium personally.

On 10th October 2023, we got the official invitation from European commission for the first review meeting in February. Our EU project officer was very kind to accept our choice of location to be Aachen since it is a good location to show the progress of the project at this specific period from our consortium members LSA GmbH and Fraunhofer.

We have started our preparations for the first review meeting from mid of October as we are obliged to report both technically and financially. I have arranged several project managements, deliverable, work package and financial update meetings to check if everything is in right place from October until December 2023. I am confident that we will have effectively prepared and summed up the reports by end of December, so it will be ready to be transferred to the European commission long before January 31, 2023. On November 30th, 2023, we have deadlines for 5 deliverables and each of our consortium partner worked hard to get it done. I’m very happy with the way we progressed in the first 18 months.

As the technical updates goes on, I too have some personal changes update in the team. Carmen Loew, our Communications specialist for ReSoURCE was leaving the company at the end of October 2023 and I am expecting my second baby in February 2024. So, we had to search candidates for both positions in October 2023. It was lot of work, but I really enjoyed the smooth transfer that we have planned in both positions to make the candidates comfortable to take on their new jobs. I congratulate both persons for their new jobs and I hope they will have a great time working in the project ReSoURCE. I will be away for my maternity leave from Dec 16th, 2023, until end of Dec 2024 and will be back to the project ReSoURCE in January 2025. Earlier, I was eagerly waiting for the first review meeting in February 2024; anyhow, God has other plans for me as now I am excitedly waiting for my second baby to arrive in February 2024. I wish you all and especially my consortium members warm and cozy holidays with showers of snow and happiness blooming around the homes 😊.