Building what comes next
- MULTIPULM Editor
- Mar 31
- 4 min read
Highlights from the MULTIPULM Plenary in Novi Sad
On March 16 and 17, 2026, the MULTIPULM consortium came together for its first plenary meeting. Hosted by Institut za Plucne Bolesti Vojvodine (IPBV), the meeting gave partners time to reconnect in person, review progress, and make sure the work ahead is grounded in real needs, real settings, and real people.
Over two busy days, the plenary helped turn early ideas into clearer next steps. It brought together technical, clinical, and implementation partners to align priorities, share progress, and move forward as one team.
A quick look at the tools behind MULTIPULM
One of the first highlights was the MULTIPULM Digital Tools pitches by Wellics, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Universidade de Coimbra, AINIGMA and Foundation for Research and Technology.
In a fast-paced session, partners introduced the digital tools that will help support people living with chronic respiratory diseases and multimorbidity.
These tools include support for remote monitoring, risk stratification, breathing-based assessment, sleep support, and lifestyle and smoking cessation interventions. Together, they are designed to help create a more connected and patient-centred model of care.
A hands-on workshop on communities of practice
Another key moment was the Communities of Practice workshop led by Future Needs.
This was not a passive presentation. It was a practical working session. Participants split into country groups and explored how to build engagement around upcoming project activities, how to attract the right stakeholders, and how to show the value of joining a Community of Practice.
This matters because Communities of Practice are not just a side activity in MULTIPULM. They are meant to support visibility, local engagement, and participation in design, implementation, and validation.
Hearing directly from the pilots
The pilots plenary gave space to hear from the teams in Türkiye (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health), Brazil (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte and Universidade de Fortaleza - Unifor), and Serbia (Institut za Plucne Bolesti Vojvodine), helping everyone better understand the local contexts where MULTIPULM will be implemented.
These discussions helped connect the project’s shared goals with the everyday realities of healthcare systems, stakeholder engagement, and future validation work in each country.
Dissemination in disguise
Joel from the partner organization Unifor (representing the Brazilian pilot) faced an unexpected medical challenge during the trip.
Following an emergency surgery, Joel found himself as both a participant in the plenary and a patient in the very type of environment the project aims to optimize.
True to the spirit of the consortium, Joel turned his recovery into an impromptu masterclass in project awareness.
From his hospital bed, he informed the entire surgical ward of healthcare professionals who attended him about the MULTIPULM project, turning a personal emergency into a grassroots dissemination event.
Bringing MULTIPULM closer to practice
The Novi Sad meeting was also a chance to present MULTIPULM in front of Serbian clinicians and raise awareness of the project beyond the consortium itself.
That mattered. MULTIPULM is about implementation, not just innovation.
Sharing the project in a real healthcare setting helped bring the conversation closer to the professionals who understand the day-to-day realities of respiratory care.
More than a meeting
What stood out most in Novi Sad was not just the progress made. It was the energy in the room.
"After discussion with IPBV team there is a feeling of togetherness with all Consortium team members and great vibes. The high commitment of all members was shown, and I am sure... we will give all of us (some of us literarily) in order to accomplish our final goal."
-Tomi, Serbian Pilot Leader, IPBV.
The plenary gave partners time to ask better questions, challenge assumptions, and leave with a stronger sense of shared direction. It was a reminder that meaningful progress in health innovation depends on people working closely together, across countries and disciplines, with a clear focus on the patients and systems they want to support.
"On behalf of the entire Consortium, I can say that the 1st Plenary meeting was not only productive but truly inspiring."
-Konstantinos Vaianos, Project Coordinator, Uni Systems Greece.
What happens next will matter even more.
The conversations in Novi Sad did not end when the meeting closed. They opened the door to the next phase of MULTIPULM: deeper collaboration, local preparation, and the first real steps toward testing how these tools, ideas, and care models can work in practice across Brazil, Serbia, and Türkiye. The direction is clearer now, but some of the most important moments are still ahead. As plans begin to take shape on the ground, the real question is no longer what MULTIPULM could become, but what it will make possible for the people and health systems it aims to support.
Communication & Dissemination Manager - MULTIPULM/Future Needs
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