The SHIELD project officially launched with its Kick-Off Meeting held over two days in Pafos, Cyprus, bringing together the full consortium of partners for the first time in person.
The meeting marked the formal start of SHIELD’s ambitious mission to transform the early detection of pancreatic cancer and contribute to increasing 5-year survival rates to 30% by 2035. With 26 partners from across Europe, the kick-off provided a crucial opportunity to align on the project’s vision, objectives, and implementation strategy.
Over the course of the two-day meeting, consortium members engaged in intensive discussions and working sessions covering all project work packages. The agenda focused on establishing a shared understanding of SHIELD’s scientific and clinical goals, defining roles and responsibilities, and mapping key milestones for the first year of implementation. Particular attention was given to biomarker discovery, genetic and clinical pathways, data management and governance, AI-enabled tools, platform development, and dissemination and exploitation planning.
The meeting also fostered strong collaboration across clinical, technical, and coordination teams, setting the foundations for effective cross–work package cooperation. Dedicated sessions enabled partners to exchange expertise, refine project workflows, and ensure that ethical, regulatory, and patient-centred considerations are embedded from the outset.
The consortium extends its sincere thanks to the coordinators for their excellent organisation and leadership of the kick-off meeting, which ensured productive discussions and a strong start for the project.
With clear roadmaps in place and a shared commitment to impact, SHIELD now moves confidently from strategy into implementation, united in its goal to deliver innovative, data-driven solutions for the early detection of pancreatic cancer.
