The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network AERIALIST, focused on Assistive Health Technology in Unsupervised/Home Settings, officially commenced its four-year journey with a successful kick-off meeting on October 6-7, 2025, at the Crowne Plaza Brugge, Belgium.
The two-day event brought together doctoral candidates (DCs), supervisors, associated partners, and the management support team from across Europe, representing leading institutions in both academia and industry. This gathering laid the foundation for collaborative research that aims to advance assistive health technologies for home and unsupervised settings.
Day 1: Building Foundations and Connections
The first day began with an introduction to the project’s practical arrangements, including scientific objectives, and training components. Following this comprehensive overview, each doctoral candidate presented their research focus, academic background, and host institution through engaging pitch presentations. These presentations provided valuable insights into the diverse yet complementary research projects within the network, spanning robotics, assistive technologies, and healthcare applications.
During the presentations
The academic sessions were complemented by cultural immersion, as participants enjoyed a guided tour of historic Brugge. The tour highlighted the city’s architectural heritage and medical history, including a visit to one of Europe’s oldest surviving hospital buildings from mid-12th century.
Guided tour through Brugge
Guided tour through Brugge
The evening concluded with a networking dinner ast the venue, where participants exchanged ideas about rehabilitation robotics and assistive technologies in an informal setting.
Day 2: Training and Strategic Planning
The second day featured parallel sessions tailored to different groups:
For Doctoral Candidates:
- Researcher’s Council meeting to establish governance structure and responsibilities
- Work Package sessions and Secondments Café for timeline coordination
- Comprehensive training on “Ethics, Integrity, Open Access and Open Science”
The AERIALIST Network
For Supervisors:
- Supervisory Board Meeting
- Work Package sessions and Secondments Café for timeline coordination
- Dedicated workshop on “The Supervisor: Role & Responsibilities”
These sessions emphasized the importance of responsible research conduct, effective mentoring, and interdisciplinary collaboration, our core values at the AERIALIST network. The day concluded with strategic discussions about upcoming network-wide events and collaborative opportunities.
Looking Ahead
The kick-off meeting successfully established the collaborative framework for the AERIALIST network’s ambitious research agenda. Over the next four years, the network will advance the field of assistive health technology through innovative research, comprehensive training, and strong industry partnerships.
For more information about the AERIALIST Doctoral Network, visit: https://dn-aerialist.eu