Strengthening Transatlantic Collaboration on Energy Transition

Energy Transition

19–20 May 2025 | Seville, Spain

On May 19th and 20th, LifeWatch ERIC and the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI) will welcome a distinguished delegation of researchers and representatives from public institutions across Latin America and Europe to Seville, to strengthen transatlantic collaboration on environmental indicators for the energy transition within the framework of the EULAC ENERGYTRAN project’s mobility programme.

ENERGY TRAN has the objectives of co-designing analytical tools based on the FAIR principles to assess energy transition indicators, building capacity in the use of European research infrastructures, such as LifeWatch ERIC, to connect environmental and energy data.
Moreover, it will exchange best practices in data governance, public policy, and participatory approaches and strengthen collaboration networks between institutions in Europe and Latin America for future scientific and policy-oriented initiatives.

The initiative aims to strengthen institutional capacities and foster knowledge exchange between Europe and Latin America in support of a sustainable energy transition. Special attention will be given to the interoperability of data, the development of FAIR-based analytical tools, and the integration of biodiversity and sustainability indicators into energy policy frameworks.

Day one of the meeting, 19 May, will be held at the University of Seville’s Cultural Initiatives Centre (CICUS), while the second day LifeWatch ERIC headquarters, Plaza de España, will host the second day.

Confirmed participating institutions include:

  • Argentina:
    • Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation.
    • National University of San Martín (UNSAM)
  • Brazil:
    • Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation
  • Chile:
    • Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation (MinCiencia)
    • University of Magallanes (UMAG)
  • Colombia:
    • Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Minciencias)
  • Costa Rica:
    • Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications (MICITT);
    • High Technology Center Foundation (FunCeNAT)
  • Mexico:
    • National Technological Institute of Mexico (TecNM)
  • Uruguay:
    • National Research and Innovation Agency ( ANII)
  • Spain:
    • Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
    • National Statistics Institute (INE)
    • Renewables Foundation
    • Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI)
    • EU-SOLARIS ERIC
    • Network of Experts on Science and Technology Indicators (NESTI); a working party of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
  • Portugal
    • Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC)
    • Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal (IPS)

This event exemplifies LifeWatch ERIC’s commitment to advancing open science, transatlantic collaboration, and data-driven sustainability.

We look forward to receiving all participants in seville and continue strengthening collaboration between LifeWatch ERIC and Latin America and European institutions.

Policy Relevance and Uptake

  • End of May 2026 – Policy-brief to demonstrate the application of habitat-based mapping in supporting EU strategies (e.g., Biodiversity Strategy, Nature Restoration Law).

Mapping user requirements

  • End of January 2025 – Catalogue of services already available in LifeWatch ERIC or research lines addressing ecological responses to climate change;
  • February 2025 (TBD) – Online working table on setting priorities, timeline and milestones for the mapping service and model requirements by scientists and science stakeholders.
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.

Visit Greece 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.

Visit Italy 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.

Visit Netherlands 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.

Visit Portugal 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.

Visit Slovenia 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.

Visit Spain webpage
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.

Visit Bulgaria webpage

Implementing services

  • End of January 2025 – Internal distribution of a questionnaire on the most used/relevant model resources in the WG member research activity;
  • February 2025 (TBD) – Online working table on setting priorities, timeline and milestones for the mapping service and model requirements by scientists and science stakeholders.

Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Building

  • End of December 2025 – Create a shared repository of guidance documents, tools, templates, and data resources accessible to WG members and broader communities.

Organising WG workshops and conferences

  • End of January 2025 – Setting priority research lines and contributions to the BEeS 2025 LifeWatch Conference for the session on the “Ecological responses to climate change”;
  • March/April 2025 (TBD) – Workshop ‘Ecological modelling and eco-informatics to address functional responses of biodiversity and ecosystems to climate change’ co-organised with the University of Salento;
  • 30 June – 3 July 2025 – Participation to LifeWatch 2025 BEeS Conference on “Addressing the Triple Planetary Crisis”.

Fund raising

  • End of January 2025 – Establishing a WG Committee on scouting project application opportunities and fundraising.

Meetings, Webinars, International Conferences & Networking (2025/2026)

  • Organising and participating at discussions on emerging technologies in biodiversity monitoring;
  • Organising webinars on machine learning, eDNA analysis, and automated data collection;
  • Fostering collaboration between researchers, technologists, and decision-makers.

Collaborative Research & Case Studies (2025/2026)

  • Conducting pilot projects to test new monitoring methods;
  • Publishing scientific and popular science papers and reports on advancements in biodiversity assessment.

Data Standardisation & FAIR Principles Implementation (2025/2026)

  • Developing best practices for data curation and sharing;
  • Ensuring that biodiversity data aligns with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) standards.

Development of VREs for Ecosystem Simulation (2026)

  • Creating virtual models of ecosystems to predict environmental changes;
  • Enhancing conservation strategies through AI-driven simulations.

Mapping Requirements and Gap Analysis

  • End of December 2025 – Catalogue of services already available in LifeWatch ERIC or research lines Ecosystem services mapping.

Methodological Alignment and Innovation

  • End of January 2026 – Online working table on mapping standards, classification systems, and indicators across members;
  • End of January 2026 – Catalogue of advanced techniques (e.g., remote sensing, GIS modelling, and machine learning) for scalable, habitat-based ecosystem service mapping;
  • End December 2026 – Methodological framework to support methodological innovation through joint development and testing of mapping approaches, especially linking ecosystem service supply and demand.
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.

Visit Belgium webpage