The EMERALD consortium gathered in Bilbao, Spain, on 14–15 October 2026 for its 9th and final General Assembly, hosted by project coordinator TECNALIA. With the project approaching its conclusion at the end of October, the meeting represented an important opportunity for partners to review the progress achieved over the past three years, assess the results of their collaborative efforts and coordinate the remaining activities.

Reviewing the EMERALD Framework and Pilot Validation

A central focus of the meeting was the application and validation of the EMERALD framework across the project pilots. Partners reviewed how the framework has been used in different pilot environments, examining the progress of validation activities and the results obtained so far.

These discussions provided an opportunity to assess how the framework’s components and functionalities are being applied in practice, identify any remaining challenges and ensure that the pilot activities contribute to the project’s overall objectives.

Particular attention was given to consolidating the results of the validation process, which represents a key element in demonstrating the applicability and effectiveness of the EMERALD approach to automated cybersecurity certification.

Assessing Project Achievements and Final Objectives

As EMERALD enters its final weeks, the General Assembly also focused on evaluating the project’s achievements against its expected outcomes and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Through discussions covering the different work packages, partners reviewed the status of ongoing activities, assessed progress towards the established targets and identified the actions needed tocomplete the remaining tasks within the project timeline.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to coordinate the preparation of final deliverables and ensure consistency between the technical results, pilot validation activities and the project’s broader objectives.

Towards the Completion of EMERALD

With the project scheduled to conclude on 31 October 2026, this final General Assembly marked a significant milestone in EMERALD’s three-year journey.

Beyond reviewing the remaining activities, the meeting offered an opportunity to reflect on the progress achieved through collaboration across the consortium and the contributions made towards simplifying and automating cybersecurity certification processes.

The meeting in Bilbao highlighted the importance of the consortium’s continued coordination and shared commitment to achieving EMERALD’s objectives as the project reaches its final milestone.