On 17 June 2026, the annual Genome of Europe (GoE) Consortium Meeting was held in Gothenburg, Sweden, bringing together partners from across Europe working to establish a European genomic reference database. More than 100 representatives of partner organisations attended the meeting in person, while over 80 participants joined online.
Bulgaria was represented by Prof. Radka Kaneva, PhD, Head of Molecular Medicine Center at the Medical University of Sofia and Coordinator of the Genome of Bulgaria project, which is part of the Genome of Europe initiative.
Representatives of the European Commission, including Dr Alina Lupu, as well as members of the project's Scientific Advisory Board, Ethics Advisory Board, and Minority Advisory Board, also participated in the meeting. Their recommendations and expert perspectives contributed significantly to discussions on key scientific, ethical, and organisational aspects of the initiative.
During the consortium meeting, the work package leaders presented the project's achievements to date, highlighting the substantial progress made since the project's launch. In particular, the consortium reported that over the past six months it has generated a number of important scientific results with the potential to advance genomic medicine and improve public health across Europe.
Another highlight of the meeting was the welcoming of two new observer countries—Bosnia and Herzegovina and Armenia—to the Genome of Europe community. The active participation of all partner countries reaffirmed the consortium's strong commitment to developing a coordinated European approach to genomic research and data sharing.
The presentation of the project's first scientific results was among the key highlights of the programme. During this year's European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) Conference, the consortium delivered 14 scientific presentations, demonstrating the rapid progress achieved by the project. It was emphasised during the Gothenburg meeting that Genome of Europe has already produced several important scientific results with the potential to make a significant impact on genomic medicine, biomedical research, and public health both in Europe and beyond. Particularly remarkable is the fact that many of these achievements have been accomplished within the last six months, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the work package leaders and all consortium partners.
Participants also discussed the next phases of the project, including the coordination of national genome production and preparations for the next in-person consortium meeting, which will take place in Rotterdam in 2027.
The Gothenburg meeting confirmed that Genome of Europe has entered an important new phase of its development. The progress achieved so far, combined with the strong international collaboration among partner countries, provides a solid foundation for the successful implementation of the project's objectives and for advancing personalised medicine across Europe.
