Second General Assembly of the BioDiMoBot

The BioDiMoBot consortium gathered for its second General Assembly (GA) on 17 June 2026 in Millstatt am See, Austria, overlooking the beautiful Lake Millstatt—a scientifically important location for the project. The meeting brought together all project partners to review progress, share recent achievements, and coordinate the next phase of the project. Throughout the day, each partner presented updates on their activities, highlighting key results, ongoing work, and future priorities.

Photo credit: Gerald Radspieler

Taking place approximately 18 months into the project, the General Assembly marked an important milestone for assessing progress across all work packages. In addition to project presentations, partners demonstrated several technical developments, including the latest advances in electronics, sensing technologies and biodiversity measuring methods that are being integrated into the BioDiMoBot platform.

Prof. Farshad Arvin from Durham University presenting "The Red", the power management board developed for the BioDiMoBot robot. Photo credit: Wiktoria Vogrin.

We were delighted to be hosted by our project partner, Österreichische Bundesforste (OeBF). During the meeting, Andreas Haas gave an insightful presentation on the differences between hatchery-raised and truly wild fish. He explained how phenotypic adaptations can already be observed after only two generations in different environments, highlighting the importance of conserving natural fish populations. His presentation also emphasized the need for ethical fishing practices and greater transparency regarding the origin of fish.

Andreas Haas presenting the differences between fish bred in a hatchery and wild fish. Photo credit: Wiktoria Vogrin

The General Assembly provided an excellent opportunity not only to review scientific and technical progress but also to strengthen collaboration across the consortium. By bringing together expertise from ecology, robotics, sensing technologies, and environmental management, the meeting reinforced the project's shared commitment to developing innovative tools for biodiversity monitoring and freshwater ecosystem conservation.

General Assembly. Photo credit: Wiktoria Vogrin