On Monday 23 March 2026, the UNITY consortium gathered for its third consortium meeting at Buitenplaats Rozenlust in Rotterdam. With the project now approaching its halfway point, the day provided an opportunity to review the progress across the work packages and cross-cutting themes and to reflect on challenges ahead.

Progress across work packages and cross-cutting themes

The morning session was dedicated to progress updates. Several notable milestones were shared: WP1 has finalised its list of key knowledge questions during a pandemic, forming an important foundation for further work in the project. The cross-cutting theme on Citizen Engagement has sent out their citizen survey exploring key questions from a citizens perspective. Meanwhile, simulation exercises in WP2 are ongoing, and WP4 is planning the  large-scale simulation exercises to be held in June.

The morning also featured an update from BePrepared – a fellow ZonMw-funded project – offering useful insight into learnings from previous simulation exercises on integrated advice. An update on the ongoing international study provided further context on how UNITY’s work connects to broader developments across other countries. WP4 also presented the design of their feasibility study and invited input from consortium members.

The morning session ended with the sounding board reflecting on the updates given, adding an important external perspective to the discussions.

Scientific uncertainty

A dedicated session in the afternoon focused on the theme of scientific uncertainty. The session made clear that mapping scientific uncertainty is not only important but necessary for providing credible, integrated advice. At the same time, it highlighted the complexity of determining how different forms and degrees of uncertainty should be weighed when that advice is formulated.

Reflection café

The afternoon closed with a “reflection café” led by WP5, in which consortium members split into breakout groups to discuss three themes: what integrated advice could look like (ranging from more neutral to more directive), questions of time (balancing short- and long-term goals, the need for a timely data infrastructure, and the frequency of issuing advice), and responsiveness (to for example citizens, to policymakers, and to evidence). From these discussions, several important considerations surfaced that will inform the consortium’s work going forward.

Towards integrated advice

With the project approaching its midpoint, the consortium meeting made clear how much has already been achieved. At the same time, a lot of progress still has to be made: in the coming months, many important steps will be taken – for example small and large simulation exercises and citizen surveys. All in all, with the momentum of the recent progress, the UNITY continues to work towards a robust, integrated assessment framework for pandemic preparedness and response.

Read more about the UNITY project here.