On 28 May 2026, back to back with the JTC2023 Midterm Monitoring Meeting, THCS partners gathered in Riga for the Partnership’s General Assembly, hosted by the Latvian Council of Science (LCS). The meeting brought together representatives of partner organisations from across Europe to review progress, exchange updates on ongoing activities and discuss the priorities that will guide the next phase of THCS.
The Assembly provided an opportunity to take stock of the Partnership’s achievements, building on the positive feedback received during the second review process held in March 2026, while also addressing the areas for further improvement identified by the reviewers.
The first topic addressed during the meeting was the ongoing update of the THCS Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA). Partners discussed the progress achieved in revising the SRIA structure and intervention logic, including the work carried out to better define general, specific and operational objectives, expected outcomes, indicators and impacts. This work aims to ensure that the Partnership’s strategic priorities remain aligned with emerging European challenges, policy developments and the evolving needs of health and care systems.
The discussion then moved to updates from WP1 and WP2, focusing on the governance, coordination and implementation of the Partnership. Partners were informed about the preparation of the 2027 Annual Work Plan, upcoming governance meetings, and the ongoing work on Amendment 3, including proposed adjustments to the project structure, budget reallocations, the formal inclusion of new partners and the request for a no-cost extension.
WP3 then presented the state of play of activities related to strategic relationships, synergies with other European initiatives, communication and stakeholder engagement. The session highlighted ongoing and upcoming work to strengthen collaboration with relevant European initiatives, increase the visibility of THCS and its funded projects, and maximise the overall impact of the Partnership.
WP4 presented progress on the methodological and assessment framework, including work on research and innovation priorities, knowledge gaps, capacity-building needs and tools to support the transfer and implementation of health and care solutions. WP5 then provided an update on activities bridging evidence and policy, with a focus on the upcoming THCS Masterclass on evidence-based policymaking for better primary care, which will take place in Paris from 29 June to 2 July 2026.
Moving to the Partnership’s research and innovation funding activities,WP6 presented progress on the preparation of the JTC 2027 and reflected on the feedback received in the second review report. WP7 shared the first results of the JTC 2026, including the number of pre-proposals submitted, eligible proposals and full proposals invited. WP8 provided an update on the monitoring framework for THCS-funded projects, highlighting the positive implementation status of the project portfolio and the role of monitoring data in assessing progress, results and impacts.
The Assembly also looked at activities supporting knowledge exchange, transferability and ecosystem development. WP9 presented its work on transformative ecosystems, including the ongoing collection of ecosystem cases, its podcast series and the upcoming workshop in Amsterdam. WP10 focused on the THCS Knowledge Hub, its role in supporting the transferability of good practices, capacity-building activities and collaboration among partners and funded projects.
Looking ahead, the Coordination Team outlined a rich programme of activities for the remainder of 2026. These include the participation of THCS in the SilverEco & Ageing Well International Festival in Cannes in September; the Learning Week organised by WP10, also planned between September and October; the WP9 workshop in Amsterdam in September; the European Commission Cancer Mission Showcase in Brussels between September and October; and the THCS Annual Conference in Bilbao in November, which will take place in the framework of the European Public Health Conference.
The discussions in Riga confirmed the shared commitment of THCS partners to advancing research, innovation and evidence-informed policymaking as key drivers for more resilient, inclusive and sustainable health and care systems in Europe, while entering a new phase increasingly focused on implementation, scaling up and policy uptake.