Flip-EC partners meet in Bielsko-Biała for their second partner meeting

01 December 2025

On 26th and 27th October 2025, the Flip-EC consortium met in Bielsko-Biała, Poland, for its second partner meeting. Hosted by the Regional Development Agency of Bielsko-Biała (ARR S.A.), the two-day gathering brought partners from across the Baltic Sea Region together to review progress, exchange practical insights and prepare for the upcoming pilot phase. The agenda covered a rich mix of a field visit, strategic discussions and collaborative workshops.

Technical insights and environmental leadership

The meeting began with a visit to the AQUA S.A. wastewater treatment plant, the municipal water and wastewater utility of Bielsko-Biała. Partners learned how the utility operates its systems, how it manages energy supply and demand, and how it produces its own biogas and electricity to support its operations. The visit also offered insights into the technologies and equipment behind on-site wastewater treatment processes.

After returning to the meeting venue, participants attended an inspiring keynote delivered by Katarzyna Kordas from the Department of Environmental Protection and Energy at the Bielsko-Biała City Hall. She presented the city’s long-term environmental efforts, developed jointly with 50 neighbouring municipalities. These include improving air quality, increasing energy efficiency in public buildings, enhancing climate resilience, advancing waste management and strengthening environmental education. She also highlighted practical initiatives such as replacing coal-based heating, energy-sensitive renovations of public buildings, the procurement of electric and hydrogen buses, education programmes for children and parents, eco-driving campaigns and other awareness-raising activities.

Work package sessions: from analysis to planning

A collaborative session under WP1 followed, during which partners discussed target groups, methodologies and monitoring tools. Group work resulted in five posters capturing key insights and challenges from the WP1 deliverables, setting the stage for the transition to the next phase. The first day of the partner meeting concluded with an update on WP3, providing an outlook on the upcoming communication and dissemination activities.

On the second day, partners continued by preparing the pilot phase under WP2. Building on the analytical results from WP1, the session focused on challenges and support needs for the pilot locations. Feedback rounds allowed partners to reflect on their pilot concepts and better align the next steps across the consortium.

Next steps

The meeting concluded with a joint wrap-up and a forward-looking discussion on the next milestones for Flip-EC, including the finalisation of the piloting masterplan and the planning of the next partner meeting. The partner meeting in Bielsko-Biała strengthened cooperation within the project and provided a strong foundation for the transition from analytical work to practical piloting. It provided the Flip-EC consortium with local inspiration and a clear roadmap ahead.