ēQATOR Consortium Meeting Held in Reading, UK

The latest consortium meeting of the EU-funded eQATOR project was held from 30 September to 1 October 2025 in Reading, UK, hosted by Johnson Matthey Technology. The gathering marked another exciting milestone in the project’s journey towards innovative reactor technologies.

The first day kicked off with an engaging Intellectual Property (IP) workshop led by Steinbeis, where partners actively exchanged ideas on exploitable results and the background knowledge required for future applications. The momentum continued with compelling technical presentations, including the unveiling of the ISMA reactor by SINTEF and interesting insights into microwave reactor kinetics from CNRS.

Following a scenic lunch in Johnson Matthey’s enclosed garden, partners enjoyed a tour of the company’s laboratories. The visit offered a closer look at tailor-made catalyst production and JM’s diverse business activities. In the afternoon, breakout sessions fostered focused discussions on the advancement of resistive and microwave heating reactors, as well as the integrated life cycle sustainability assessment. The day wrapped up with lively networking over dinner by the River Thames, strengthening connections across the consortium.

Day two began with a general assembly led by project coordinator SINTEF, covering key legal and financial topics. The IP workshop resumed with partners outlining their exploitation strategies and ownership of project results. MCI showcased the latest progress on the resistive heating pilot plant, including a monolith converter brought from Austria, while MEAM shared promising updates on the microwave reactor development.

After lunch, partners received important updates on Work Package 6 (Integrated Sustainability Assessment) and Work Package 7 (Impact through Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation)—both essential for ensuring the project’s long-term sustainability and visibility.

As the project moves towards its final phase, the consortium is gearing up for the last meeting in March 2026 at PSTd’A’s facilities in Chieti, where the TRL 6 resistive heating reactor will be demonstrated. The microwave heating reactor demonstration is planned at SINTEF’s site in Tiller, Norway.

With strong collaboration and shared ambition, the consortium remains fully committed to delivering the project’s innovative goals and making a lasting impact in sustainable reactor technology.