On 17 and 18 December 2025, the NFFA-Europe team convened in Barcelona for the 4th NFFA-Europe General Assembly, hosted by NFFA-Europe partner the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and held at the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona campus.

Bringing together project partners for an open and forward-looking exchange, the General Assembly provided a key moment to reflect on the work accomplished and to align on the next steps for the infrastructure. Discussions focused not only on the current status of NFFA-Europe, but also on its future evolution and long-term impact.

A shared vision clearly emerged from the meeting: innovation is no longer limited to advanced technological capabilities alone, but increasingly lies in the services provided and in the organisational models that support them. Partners presented ongoing activities while actively reflecting on how NFFA-Europe can continue to evolve to better serve the scientific community.

The exchange highlighted the value of collective expertise and collaboration, with a strong emphasis on shaping a more integrated, user-oriented, and innovative access framework for research. This spirit of cooperation reinforced NFFA-Europe’s commitment to continuous evolution, driven by the active contribution of all its partners.

Looking ahead, discussions also touched upon NFFA2050, which is a candidate to become a new entry in the ESFRI Roadmap 2026, marking an important step toward ensuring the long-term sustainability and strategic positioning of the NFFA infrastructure at the European level.

As the General Assembly came to a close, partners left Barcelona with renewed energy and fresh momentum, ready to carry forward the next phase of NFFA-Europe and to continue strengthening a research infrastructure built on collaboration, excellence, and service to the scientific community.