Building something meaningful together

The TRIC project is officially underway, and the first months have already shown what strong collaboration can achieve. Although the project formally started in December, partners had already met earlier to ensure a smooth and well-prepared launch.

Uncertainty is something all of us encounter in many contexts: as part of complex realities, new and demanding content, challenging tasks, and when meeting unfamiliar people and teams. Acknowledging this shared, everyday experience helps create understanding, trust and openness qualities that are essential in any meaningful collaboration.

From the very beginning, the cooperation within the consortium has been exceptionally open, constructive and committed. Early online meetings helped us align expectations and working practices and created a shared understanding that carried seamlessly into the implementation phase.

In December, the consortium gathered for an online kick-off, followed by an intensive face-to-face kick-off meeting in Turku in January. These meetings were not only about planning and coordination, but they were also about building trust, learning from each other’s expertise and shaping a shared vision for the project. The atmosphere was collaborative, focused and genuinely inspiring.

Thanks to this strong cooperation, the project has moved quickly from planning to action. Already in the early phase, the consortium has produced several key deliverables, including the Project Handbook, Data Management Plan, Quality Plan, and Dissemination and Communication Plan. These provide a solid foundation for transparent, high-quality work throughout the project.

What stands out most so far is the people behind TRIC: a consortium that brings together diverse expertise, shared motivation and a clear willingness to work together across disciplines, sectors and countries. The way uncertainty has been approached even within our own collaboration - openly, reflectively and productively - already reflects the core values of the project itself.

This strong start gives us great confidence for the next phases of TRIC. The cooperation we have built so far is not just a good beginning, it is one of the project’s key strengths moving forward.

Mari Tauriainen

Turku University of Applied Sciences

Administrative project manager in the TRIC project