The final phase begins at the Vienna Consortium Meeting

2025 October 10

How do you make complex migration data actionable for policymakers? This question framed the discussions as the PREMIUM_EU consortium gathered for its sixth meeting, hosted by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Laxenburg, Austria. Over two days of presentations, internal workshops, and collaborative exercises, the team worked to align the project’s final outputs testing the first version of the PREMIUM_EU Dashboard, refining the policy database, and preparing for the final stages of dissemination.



The meeting marked a milestone moment for the project. With the Dashboard entering its beta phase and the policy modules under review, partners focused on translating research insights into usable, evidence-based tools that can guide regional decision-makers across Europe.

As per tradition an optional catch-up dinner and drinks was the pre-programme point most team members were looking forward to attending. After almost three years working closely together, face-to-face time is a highly appreciated break from many online meetings. Though the temperatures in Vienna were cool the atmosphere was warm and set a good precedent for the upcoming working days together.



 

Testing and tuning the Dashboard

Monday started off with thourough update and status of the different Work Packages. Each partner shared their progress and findings since our last collective meeting in Ankara. Our Turkish team shared the interesting perspectives they collected from regional policymakers in the latest policy lab - a series of interactive workshops PREMIUM_EU has designed and hosted in several countries, to gather demographic decline insights from policy makers.



During the lunch break, our team got to experience the beautiful historical buildings of our host partner IIASA. The institute's home in the former castle owned by Friedrich Karl Graf von Schönborn, the Vice Chancellor of emperors Joseph I and Karl VI. In the mid-1700s, the building came into the possession of the imperial family and was enlarged to its present size under Empress Maria Theresa. Together with the Palace of Schönbrunn, closer to Vienna, it became a summer retreat of the Habsburgs. During and after the Second World War, the Schloss fell into a state of disrepair. From 1972 to 1981, it was completely renovated for IIASA.



The interesting story behind the expansive institute's buildings elevated the meeting and lunch experiences and gave us all quite a magnificent view to enjoy during the breaks.



The afternoon centred on the development and internal testing of the PREMIUM_EU Dashboard. The session, led by Anne Katrine Ebbesen, Kamila Dzhavatova, Peter Meister-Broekema and Becky Arnold, opened with a walkthrough of the latest version of the interactive platform, followed by a hands-on feedback exercise exploring data structure, visuals, and user navigation.



The team was encouraged to reflect on both the technical and policy implications of the tool: how different data layers interact, how filtering options can better support policymaking, and how to balance analytical depth with user-friendliness. The session also introduced a “policy hunting” exercise, inviting partners split into language groups to identify relevant regional policies in multiple languages to enrich the Dashboard’s database and refine its co-creation module.



The group also revisited the ongoing challenge of harmonising multilingual policy documents and refining the AI-generated policy summaries, an essential step toward ensuring the platform’s accuracy and usability.

Crossing the finish line with communications

Tuesday’s agenda turned toward communication and synthesis. The consortium discussed how to make the project’s findings resonate beyond academia, through targeted events and campaigns designed to reach regional policymakers and EU institutions.



Sara Melander presented the upcoming communication and dissemination strategy, highlighting the next major milestones: the final webinar, participation during the Week of the Regions, and the closing conference in Brussels in spring 2026.

The day also included a workshop led by Anne Katrine Ebbesen on crafting research pitches for the final dissemination phase. The team practiced transforming complex findings into concise, story-driven presentations.

Later in the afternoon, a continuation of the “policy hunting” workshop brought the focus back to the Dashboard. This brought a sense of ownership and deeper understanding of policies to a team not all familiar with the policy side of regional development.



We ended a long and intense work day with a well-deserved Austrian dinner experience in a brewery in Vienna and those with energy reserves could enjoy a well-deserved social break.



Planning the final push

As the project moves into its final six months, the Vienna meeting served as a springboard for the next phase: external testing of the Dashboard and refinement of its policy module. The coming months will see the team conduct additional user testing workshops, integrate new datasets, and prepare the final version for launch at the Brussels conference in March 2026.

The PREMIUM_EU Dashboard aims to bridge research and policymaking, offering regions across Europe a practical way to understand migration flows, explore development typologies, and access policy inspiration tailored to their specific challenges.

The consortium left Vienna with renewed focus on ensuring that the final results don’t just describe regional change but help shape it.