Second Edition: Insights from the GRIP26 Meeting in Vaals, NL
Following the success of our foundational meeting in Bruges, the GRIP consortium convened for the GRIP26 meeting at Hotel Bloemendal in Vaals, the Netherlands, in March 2026. This gathering marked a pivotal moment in our trajectory, as we moved from initial consensus to active implementation and research expansion.
Chaired by Prof. Dr. Elisabeth De Waele and Vice-chaired by Prof. Dr. Arthur van Zanten, the meeting served as a vital platform to review the robust developments of our international research network. We were particularly proud to formally introduce our first two GRIP-funded PhD candidates, Nienke Schouten and Oona Leemans, to the core team. Their integration signifies our commitment to fostering the next generation of experts dedicated to the post-ICU phase.
Key highlights of the Vaals meeting included:
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Research Progress: In-depth presentations and critical discussions on current and recently completed studies, including the INTENT (AUS), Brightside (BEL), PROSPECT-II, and Valifood-I and -III (NL) trials.
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National Perspectives: Every core member contributed insights into ongoing developments and implementation strategies within their respective countries.
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Strategic Alignment: We conducted extensive workshops to identify remaining knowledge gaps, align our shared research agenda, and define clear timelines for upcoming high-impact publications.
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Industry & Research Expansion: We held productive discussions on deepening our industry collaborations and met with prospective research partners to explore new avenues for growth.
This meeting underscores our ongoing commitment to ensuring that every patient recovering from critical illness receives personalised, evidence-based nutritional care. We remain dedicated to bridging the gaps in post-intensive care nutrition and empowering healthcare professionals worldwide to improve patient outcomes.
This meeting has been made possible by the support of Danone-Nutricia.
Vaals, the Netherlands – 20-22 March 2026