Connecting Cuba, Italy and Spain: SARGEX secondees share research progress at UAB

Researchers from Cuba, Italy and Spain came together at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) to review secondment activities and explore connections between Sargassum biomass processing, functional materials and technological development.

An internal SARGEX meeting held on 7 July 2026 in Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, provided an opportunity for visiting researchers to present their work and discuss how it contributes to the project’s objectives.

Organised by UAB, the meeting brought together academic staff and secondees hosted at UAB and AERIS, connecting research activities across work packages WP1, WP2 and WP3.

Sharing expertise from Cuba and Italy

The meeting reviewed the activities of three researchers undertaking secondments at UAB: Dr Beatriz Concepción, Head of the Structural Analysis Section at the University of Havana’s Institute of Materials Science and Technology (IMRE); Ernesto Díaz Infante, Innovation Manager at the University Foundation for Innovation and Development, University of Havana; and Annunziata Ferrentino, a PhD researcher at the University of Naples Federico II.

Their contributions offered an opportunity to share findings with colleagues working in plant physiology, cell biology and analytical chemistry. Activities documented during the secondments included Dr Concepción’s preparation of zeolite samples for X-ray diffraction analysis, alongside presentations by Dr Concepción and Ernesto Díaz Infante.

The discussions also involved secondees hosted at AERIS: Dr Daria Lotito from the University of Naples Federico II, and José Alfredo Herrera Isidrón and Miguel David Fernández Pérez from Cuba.

Linking biomass processing with future applications

A central focus was how work taking place across the project could inform and support complementary research activities.

Participants explored potential synergies between Sargassum biomass processing, the development of functional materials, and technological scale-up and validation. Bringing these perspectives together helped researchers consider how individual studies fit within the wider project and identify opportunities for further collaboration.

The meeting provided space to discuss research in progress, exchange technical knowledge and strengthen links between the teams.

Secondments that build lasting connections

Alongside their scientific activities, the three secondees hosted by UAB’s Plant Physiology Unit joined colleagues for a farewell lunch marking their time with the team.

The secondments and progress meeting illustrate the practical value of staff exchanges within SARGEX: enabling researchers to work alongside colleagues in other countries, share specialist expertise and connect their work with the project’s wider efforts towards sustainable Sargassum valorisation.