Blog

After more than three years, the ReMe-diation project is coming to an end and has generated a lot of knowledge that we would like to share. To do this, we attended the Innovative Agricultural Technologies Congress and organized a workshop in Antalya, Turkey, in October 2025. Here are a few insights:

Innovative Agricultural Technologies Congress

The Innovative Agricultural Technologies Congress was a good opportunity for sharing the project’s research outcomes to the broader academic and professional community and facilitated valuable networking and knowledge exchange with other experts in the field. Project partners presented one poster and three oral presentations summarizing key scientific and technical outcomes of the project. The following contributions were made:

• DES Pretreatment of Common Reed for Phenolic Compound Extraction and Biogas Production – A Techno-Economic Assessment; presented by: Jana Schultz, Hamburg University of Technology
• Valorization of Olive Tree Pruning Waste via Different Pretreatment Strategies: Unlocking Valuable Compounds for Integrated Biorefinery Applications; presented by: Asli Isci, Ankara University
• Assessment of Olive Tree–Legume Crops Intercropping with Respect to Agronomic Traits and Economic Impact in Mediterranean Climate Conditions; presented by: Moin Quershi and Engin Yol, Akdeniz University

 

Figures: Asli Isci (left) and Jana Schultz (right) presenting at the Innovative Agricultural Technologies Congress in Antalya

Workshop

The Workshop was hosted by Akdeniz University, with active participation from project partners and researchers of the Hamburg University of Technology, Ankara University, and Akdeniz University. It aimed to enhance the practical competencies of project members and interested parties through hands-on training and knowledge exchange in the field of biomass valorization and analytical techniques, as well as intercropping. The program consisted of two main components:

Laboratory Training Session

• The training was conducted at the Faculty of Engineering, Department of Food Engineering / Department of Food Technology, Akdeniz University.
• Participants received practical instruction in analytical laboratory methods, focusing particularly on production, extraction, and quantification of value-added compounds from pre-treated biomass and application of advanced analytical techniques.

 

Field Training and On-Site Visit

• In addition to the laboratory component, an on-site field training was organized by the Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Field Crops, Akdeniz University. The session took place on the university’s experimental fields, where intercropping experiments are being implemented.
• Participants were introduced to the experimental design and management of intercropping systems, monitoring of plant growth and biomass yield, and sampling procedures.

 

The combination of laboratory and field activities provided a comprehensive training experience, linking experimental cultivation with downstream processing and analysis. The workshop successfully strengthened technical capacities among project partners and supported knowledge exchange between academics and practitioners.

Figure: Workshop participants visiting the olive yards,
listening to the explanations from Engin Yol.