From 6 to 10 March 2013, the 11^th International Alzheimer's & Parkinson's Conference (AD/PD) took place in Florence. The landmark event brought together over 3,000 neuroscientists, pharmacologists and clinicians to study the hot topics, similarities and differences as well as scientific breakthroughs associated with Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease and related neurological disorders.

Shortly before the start of the conference, the LipiDiDiet consortium gathered from 4 to 5 March 2013 to present the scientific progress and project findings achieved so far and to discuss the next steps to be taken in the following months. Moreover, the industrial partner Danone Research organized a parallel training session and get-together for the clinical study members participating in the prospective clinical trial of LipiDiDiet. Furthermore, the whole consortium was invited to the Nutricia supported Symposium ‘Nutrition Based Treatments’, held on 6 March at the AD/PD, in which a new approach in the management of early Alzheimer’s Disease was presented.

On the second meeting day, three external experts and the representative of the European Commission being in charge of LipiDiDiet joined the consortium to review the project progress and the results generated up to date.

In summary, the overall progress of the project is characterized by efficient management, communication and collaboration between the individual work packages and their associated research groups. This is also underlined by the concluding statement of the European Commission and its experts: “LipiDiDiet is in a position to provide breakthrough basic research and clinical data knowledge which may have high impact concerning the relation of nutrition with cognitive aging. The project may certainly become a success story with high visibility and media attention”.