2nd PLANNING WORKSHOP in Budapest

InDiMaND in Budapest – Three Days of Professional Cooperation and International Knowledge Exchange

From 24 to 26 August 2026, Budapest hosted the second InDiMaND Planning Workshop, providing three days of professional discussions, knowledge sharing and practical exchange between project partners and invited external experts.

During the meeting, participants reviewed the current status of the project and discussed the activities planned for the next period. The programme also included site visits and professional discussions. R2CAS external experts joined the programme, placing particular emphasis on sharing practical knowledge and experience gained by organisations and professionals from different countries.

Project Progress and Planning the Next Steps

The three-day programme began on 24 August with the second InDiMaND Planning Workshop in Budapest.

Project partners reviewed the current status of the different project activities and the progress achieved so far. This was followed by joint planning of the activities for the next period. The professional discussions concluded with the InDiMaND Steering Committee Meeting.

The face-to-face meeting provided an important opportunity for partners not only to report on their own activities, but also to coordinate the next steps of the project and discuss upcoming tasks together.

Practical Experience in Bicske and Solymár

On the second day, the programme focused on practical experience and professional knowledge exchange.

Participants travelled to Bicske, where the InDiMaND project was introduced at the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta (HCSOM), followed by a site visit to the organisation’s logistics base.

The programme then continued in Solymár with another site visit and professional sessions. R2CAS external experts also joined the meeting, introducing their organisations and sharing their professional knowledge and experience with the participants.

The day provided an opportunity for project partners to complement their joint work within InDiMaND with first-hand insights into different organisational approaches and practical solutions.

International Professional Exchange in Budapest

On the third day of the workshop, the professional programme continued in Budapest with the participation of InDiMaND project partners and R2CAS external experts.

During the discussions, participants compared the operation of intervention organisations in different countries, including their local and higher-level structures, as well as the specific challenges and objectives they face.

A dedicated session focused on building, training and organising rescue teams, including team composition and questions related to operational efficiency.

The afternoon programme also addressed equipment optimisation, simplification and weight minimisation. The day concluded with discussions of real-life interventions and cases, including mistakes and their consequences, providing valuable lessons that could also benefit other rescue organisations.

This professional dialogue demonstrated one of the key principles of InDiMaND: experience accumulated by different organisations and countries becomes truly valuable when it is shared, compared and transformed into knowledge that others can also use.

Budapest Rope Rescue Challenge 2026

The professional programme in Budapest was also connected to the Budapest Rope Rescue Challenge 2026, which took place in Esztergom from 26 to 30 August. The competition programme, held between 27 and 29 August, was also available as an optional programme for InDiMaND project partners.

The Budapest Rope Rescue Challenge complemented the topics addressed during the professional meeting, as the workshop also placed particular emphasis on rescue team operations and organisation, equipment optimisation, and experience gained during real-life interventions.

The event therefore provided an additional opportunity to gain insight into practical rescue operations and to strengthen international professional connections.

From Shared Experience to Shared Knowledge

The three days in Budapest demonstrated the important role of international cooperation within the InDiMaND project.

Jointly reviewing project progress, planning upcoming activities, participating in site visits, involving external experts and sharing lessons learned from real-life interventions all served the same purpose: to connect the knowledge and experience available in different countries and organisations and make it useful across the partnership.

For InDiMaND, international cooperation is not an end in itself. Knowledge exchange between partners with different professional backgrounds helps participants learn from each other’s experiences, understand the practices of other organisations, and apply these lessons to strengthen future preparedness and response.