LifeWatch ERIC & friends transform knowledge into practice at the Science Summit 2024

Science Summit 2024

In the scope of its ongoing commitment to supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals, LifeWatch ERIC co-organises a workshop as part of the Science Summit 2024 at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79) activities in New York (USA), within a network of European organisations (you can find the full list of the event sponsors and partners at the bottom of this page: https://sciencesummitunga.com/science-summit-unga79/).

The Science Summit 2024 is the global event dedicated to scientific and technological challenges of our time, such as climate action, One Health, biodiversity, food systems, AI and other topics relevant to the UN SDGs.

Every year since 2013, the event serves as a dynamic platform for thought leaders, scientists, policymakers and innovators around the world to showcase cutting-edge research and promote knowledge and collaboration. 

Through discussions and networking opportunities, it facilitates the exchange of ideas and the development of actionable strategies.

This year marks the 10th edition of the event and it is particularly important, as it coincides with the UN Summit of the Future. It will place a special emphasis on the Africa Science Leadership Coalition, which was launched at the UN Civil Society Conference on May 9, 2024, to promote African leadership in science policy decision-making. The event takes place in hybrid form, with a Virtual Programme running from 10th to 27th and a physical programme running from 17th to 27th in New York which is also streamed live.

This is not the first workshop organised by the European partners in the Summit. Again this year, these organisations are representing active communities – including LifeWatch ERIC – from the fields of biodiversity, ecology and engineering domains, aiming to strengthen science, technology and innovation efforts. With combined expertise, these communities selected Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework as a testbed to strategically contribute to the implementation of the SDGs. The focus is on the emerging properties presented as a network, rather than as individual organisations, projects or initiatives.

The workshop is called Transforming Knowledge into Practice: Science, Technology and Innovation in Support of the UN SDGs and will take place on Thursday, September 26, 2024, from 9:00am to 4:00pm EDT (3:00pm to 10:00pm CEST).

Online joiners can register for free and have the possibility to follow the livestream of the event, which will take place on the Rooftop of the Science Summit venue.

The agenda consists of two parts: one in the morning, on the collective contribution to the implementation of the UN SDGs, and one in the afternoon presenting expectations from the participating science and technology organisations on the above topic.

The workshop ends with the presentation of an open call to forge an international alliance, to further integrate biodiversity conservation into the priorities of the UN Summit of the Future agenda priorities, and the post-SDG agenda.

Christos Arvanitidis, LifeWatch ERIC’s CEO, will open the workshop in a welcome session presenting the objectives, and presenting LifeWatch ERIC as a practical example of the European collaborative effort on biodiversity. 
Follow this link to get the detailed agenda and register to the workshop: https://sciencesummit2024.sched.com/event/1jzig

Bulgaria

The Bulgarian National Distributed Centre is represented by the  Agricultural University-Plovdiv.

To know more about how Bulgaria contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Spain

The Spanish National Distributed Centre is supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the Regional Government of Andalusia and the Guadalquivir River Basin Authority (Ministry for Ecological Transition-MITECO). Moreover, Spain is the hosting Member State of LifeWatch ERIC, the location of its Statutory Seat & ICT e-Infrastructure Technical Office (LifeWatch ERIC Common Facilities). 

To know more about how Spain contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Slovenia

The Slovenian National Distributed Centre is led by the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU). It focuses on the development of technological solutions in the field of biodiversity and socio-ecosystem research.

To know more about how Slovenia contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Portugal

The Portuguese National Distributed Centre is managed by PORBIOTA, the Portuguese e-Infrastructure for Information and Research on Biodiversity. Led by BIOPOLIS/CIBIO-InBIO – Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, PORBIOTA connects the principal Portuguese research institutions working in biodiversity.

To know more about how Portugal contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Netherlands

The Dutch National Distributed Centre is hosted by the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam. Moreover, The Netherlands hosts one of the LifeWatch ERIC Common Facilities, the Virtual Laboratory and Innovation Centre.

To know more about how The Netherlands contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Italy

The Italian National Distributed Centre is led and managed by the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and is coordinated by a Joint Research Unit, currently comprising 35 members. Moreover, Italy hosts one of the LifeWatch ERIC Common Facilities, the Service Centre.

To know more about how Italy contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Greece

The Greek National Distributed Centre is funded by the Greek General Secretariat of Research and Technology and is coordinated by the Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, in conjunction with 47 associated partner institutions.

To know more about how Greece contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Belgium

The Belgian National Distributed Centre makes varied and complementary in-kind contributions to LifeWatch ERIC. These are implemented in the form of long-lasting projects by various research centres and universities distributed throughout the country and supported by each respective political authority.

To know more about how Belgium contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.