INSPIRE partners the University of Maribor (UM) and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) held a joint meeting at AIT’s facilities in Bangkok, Thailand, reinforcing strategic ties between the partners. The meeting, held on 5 February 2026, focused on advancing shared objectives within the project and the Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030 through innovative technologies and solutions to tackle riverine plastic pollution.
The session began with an overview presentation by Annamaria Vujanović from UM on the INSPIRE project’s scope and expected outcomes, including its holistic approach to reducing macro- and microplastic pollution in European rivers by combining detection, collection, and prevention technologies. Participants discussed progress at INSPIRE demo sites, with a spotlight on developments in Slovenia and the integration of project insights into broader monitoring and management frameworks.
Partners exchanged insights on bridge-mounted camera systems developed by AIT and deployed under INSPIRE to monitor floating macrolitter in river environments such as the Po River in Italy. These camera systems, using advanced detection algorithms, are central to generating high-resolution data on riverine litter and informing adaptive response actions.
The meeting fostered a constructive exchange of experience and expertise between UM and AIT researchers, recognising the valuable contributions of AIT’s technical work and underscoring the potential for strengthened future collaboration on monitoring technologies and data-driven solutions.
