ENERGYTRAN Final Event

ENERGYTRAN Final event banner

Santiago de Chile, Chile

The ENERGYTRAN Project, dedicated to strengthening cooperation between Europe and LAC area Research Infrastructures, is reaching the end of its mandate. The project’s final event, “Perspectives on the Energy Transition in Ibero-America”, takes place on 28 November 2025 at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC) in Santiago de Chile: a key milestone in the bi-regional collaboration between Europe and the Latin America and Caribbean area.

This final meeting brings together project partners, experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to present and reflect on the results and impact achieved throughout the project. It will provide a dedicated space to exchange experiences, explore synergies with regional actors, and advance towards a more connected international community.

Maite Irazábal, on behalf of LifeWatch ERIC, presents the results, tools and collaborations developed by LifeWatch ERIC within the framework of ENERGYTRAN, highlighting the importance of interoperable digital infrastructures, FAIR data, and open science, for assessing the environmental impacts of the energy transition.

Additionally, Maite moderates a panel with four leading experts, presenting the environmental aspects of energy transition.

This meeting is an opportunity to reinforce long-term cooperation between Europe and Latin America: shared digital tools and methodological approaches can consistently contribute to sustainable, knowledge-driven, evidence-based transition across regions.

RESTORE4Cs at the Water Resilience Forum

Water Resilience Forum

Brussels, Belgium

The RESTORE4Cs project, promoting the restoration and protection of European coastal wetlands, has announced its participation in the first Water Resilience Forum, taking place on 8 December 2025 at the European Commission’s Jacques Delors Building in Brussels.

The forum, following the recently adopted European Water Resilience Strategy, will bring together policymakers, scientists, industry representatives, and civil society to discuss ways to address water scarcity, water quality degradation, and climate-related risks by 2050.

This is a particularly relevant topic for RESTORE4Cs, which will be present with a booth showcasing project results and insights, and will also host the première of its documentary series.

Attendees will have the opportunity to explore key findings and tools, discover best practices, and engage directly with project partners.

Learn more about the event on the RESTORE4Cs website: restore4cs.eu/restore4cs-at-the-water-resilience-forum

TICAL 2025

TICAL 2025

San José, Costa Rica

The TICAL Conference is a key hub for digital transformation in Latin America and the Caribbean, gathering experts, academics, and leaders from the technology sector to promote collaboration and knowledge exchange.

It is also the the flagship event of RedCLARA, the Latin American space for collaboration and development in education, science and innovation. Since its first edition in 2011, TICAL has provided a high-level environment to foster strategic partnerships and drive innovative projects in key areas such as education, science, and technology, becoming a regional benchmark for collaboration.

At its fourteenth edition, the Conference will take place from 11 to 13 November in San José, Costa Rica, supported by RedCONARE, the Advanced Research and Education Network of the National Council of Rectors of Costa Rica, which supports the strengthening of digital capabilities and technological innovation in the country.

The theme, this year, will be “Innovation that Transforms”, with conversations structured around six thematic areas: e-Science, Digital Health, Education, Security, Infrastructure, and Services.

LifeWatch ERIC will attend the conference as part of the ENERGYTRAN project mobility programme: Christos Arvanitidis, CEO, and Maite Irazábal, Scientific Coordination Support will represent the European research infrastructure in the session “Smart Academic Services: Innovation at the Service of the Community”.

They will present experiences in developing sustainable and collaborative digital infrastructure for research on biodiversity, climate change, and just energy transition.

Christos Arvanitidis will also join the panel “Research Infrastructures that Transform: Connecting Knowledge and Collaboration between Latin America and Europe”, sharing LifeWatch ERIC’s experience in building interconnected and sustainable scientific ecosystems, highlighting RI’s potential to act as bridges between region and promote open science, cooperation and knowledge generation.

Learn more about this event: https://tical2025.redclara.net/en/conferencia

SBCA Conference 2025: the economics of climate change

SBCA 2025

Athens, Greece

The 2025 European Conference of the Society for Benefit-Cost Analysis (SBCA) takes place in Athens, Greece, on 27-28 November 2025. The Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) hosts the event through its Research Laboratory on Socio-Economic and Environmental Sustainability (ReSEES).

The conference promotes the use of benefit-cost analysis (BCA) in science as a tool to inform policy and investment decisions. A crucial mission at a time when the hidden costs of climate change increasingly threaten social well-being. We have discussed this very topic in our June workshop in Lecce on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Responses to Climate Change (https://www.lifewatch.eu/2025/06/13/biodiversity-ecosystem-responses).

In this context, advancing the theoretical foundations and empirical applications of sustainable development becomes essential. The SBCA 2025 aims to contribute to this effort by highlighting methodological excellence, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, and practical applications of BCA for evidence-based decision-making.

Under the leadership of Professor Phoebe Koundouri, the conference will focus on environmental, natural resource, and energy issues. Director of ReSEES, and faculty member at AUEB’s Department of International and European Economic Studies, Prof. Koundouri is in fact internationally recognised for her innovative, human-centred, and interdisciplinary approaches for a sustainable interaction between nature, society, and the economy.

The conference will explore topics such as methodological advances in BCA, environment, climate, and energy policy, health and social policy evaluation, infrastructure and urban development, governance and regulation, and innovation, ethics, and social justice, opened by two keynote speeches:

  • Anastasios Xepapadeas, Cost-Benefit Analysis under Climate Change: Fat Tails and Extreme Events
  • Anna Alberini, The Benefits and Costs of Energy Assistance and Special Energy Pricing Programs

Together, they bring extensive expertise in climate change economics, growth and sustainability, cost-benefit analysis, and risk and uncertainty, econometrics, energy and environmental policy, health and safety economics, and non-market valuation.

There is still time to register at the Early Registration rate until 20 October. More information and registration details are available at https://sbca2025.aueb.gr.

SBDI Days 2026: Artificial Intelligence in Ecology and Biodiversity Research

SBDI Days 2026

The Swedish Biodiversity Data Infrastructure (SBDI), in partnership with SciLifeLab’s Planetary Biology Strategic Area, is hosting the SBDI Days at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, on 10-11 February 2026.

The conference will bring together researchers working in the fields of ecology, biology, biodiversity, remote sensing, genetic monitoring, Earth system science, and data science, to explore how AI and machine learning are reshaping the study of Life on Earth. In fact, far from being just a tool, AI is becoming a vital partner in understanding and protecting biodiversity.

The theme of the event for 2026 is “AI and Biodiversity: a Perfect Pair”. The sessions will explore big data methods such as e-DNA, a-DNA, remote sensing and image analysis, and their potential when coupled with advanced AI and ML techniques.

Learn more about the SBDI Days here: https://biodiversitydata.se/event/sbdi-days-2026-artificial-intelligence-in-ecology-and-biodiversity-research

EuroGEO 2025

EuroGEO 2025

The EuroGEO 2025 workshop has the objective to consolidate and coordinate European activities that contribute to GEO (Group on Earth Observations) initiatives. The event takes place every year, and in 2025 it is based in The Hague, Netherlands. From 13 to 15 October, the Earth Observations community will “combine, coordinate and cooperate” to advancing collective Earth Intelligence under the message #OneEuroGeo – One Voice.

The European landscape is constantly evolving both at EU level, and at GEO level: there is now a strong need to coordinate and integrate a huge number of resources to address global and regional challenges, and a shift of focus from “Earth observation” to “Earth Intelligence”, and from services to equity. Therefore, the workshop’s objectives are to accelerate the delivery of Earth Intelligence by strengthening Europe’s contributions to the GEO Work Programme, reinforcing the links to Copernicus, and aligning research, innovation, and national coordination with global and European priorities.

The agenda is structured in three days, with interactive sessions supported by facilitators, engaging panel discussions and peer-to-peer exchanges and engagement with experts. The first day offers an overview on “Vision and Global Engagement”, while Day 2 and Day 3 are dedicated to “Research and Innovation in action”, and “National GEOs and Implementation”.

LifeWatch ERIC will participate in the Action Group Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Geodiversity with the presentation Virtual Research Environments and LifeWatch ERIC, by CEO Christos Arvanitidis.

For more information visit: https://eurogeosec.eu/egw2025

ENERGYTRAN: Advancing a Sustainable Energy Transition in Ibero-America

environmentally sustainable energy transition

In the framework of the EULAC ENERGYTRAN Project, a virtual thematic event titled “Towards an Environmentally Sustainable Energy Transition” will take place on 8–9 October, providing a forum to examine the ecological implications of alternative energy systems and to share successful cases in public policy and regulation.

Date: 8–9 October
Time: 16:00 – 18:00 (CEST)
Open event with prior registration
Audience: civil society, private sector, policymakers, and all those interested in the topic.
The event will feature simultaneous subtitles in Spanish, Portuguese, and English.

Key speakers will include experts such as Fernando Valladares (Spain) and Natalia Andrea Restrepo Vélez (Commission for Environmental Cooperation), among others.

The objective of this event is to foster the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and best practices among researchers, policymakers, civil society, and the private sector from Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. By doing so, it aims to address the shared environmental challenges of the energy transition and to promote collaboration in research and innovation.

We invite you to join the dialogue, explore collaborative paths, and help disseminate this initiative’s relevance in promoting innovation, equity, and sustainability across Ibero-America.

Registration link: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=RCDnxlDvVUG4M1R-c13LgrfJnaUTBTJMmr50KbQZVqRUOENFNE1XTFMySjVOQTNOVEdOSURUTjBPVC4u&route=shorturl

ERSAC 2025: European Services on Agroecology Conference

European Research Services on Agroecology

Kaunas, Lithuania

The second ERSAC – European Research Services on Agroecology Conference takes place in Kaunas, Lithuania, on October 1 and 2, 2025. Organised in partnership with the Department of Agriculture at Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), the event shares the program with the Rural Development international scientific conference.

The AgroServ project (of which VMU is a consortium partner), will also be present at the Rural Development event with a keynote speech by its coordinator Michel Böer, on sustainable agrifood systems. The project will also curate the second day’s scientific sessions on Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Technologies, and conclude the conference with its General Assembly.

Info: https://agroserv.eu/blog/ersac-2025

High-Level Meeting on Energy Transition and Climate Sustainability

ENERGYTRAN High-Level Meeting

San José, Costa Rica

On September 18th, 2025, LifeWatch ERIC will participate in the High-Level Meeting on Energy Transition and Climate Sustainability, hosted at the Consejo Nacional de Rectores (CONARE). International experts will be presenting the preliminary results of the ENERGYTRAN project, which seeks to foster collaboration between Europe and Latin America to address shared challenges in the fields of energy transition and climate action.

The meeting will gather a wide range of high-level participants, including representatives of international cooperation organizations, national institutions, and academia, strengthening dialogue between Europe and Latin America on the pressing issues of climate sustainability and energy transition. Among the confirmed institutions are: Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos (OEI); Centro Nacional de Alta Tecnología (CeNAT); Fundación CRUSA; Costa Rica por Siempre; German Cooperation (GIZ); Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE); Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (TEC); Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica; Tecnológico Nacional de México (TecNM); Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (UNNE),.

The programme will cover a diverse set of themes, from international cooperation in energy transition and sustainability, to the role of public institutions and academia, concluding with the presentation of initial results of ENERGYTRAN. Maite Irazabal will represent LifeWatch ERIC, showcasing the preliminary results of the project.

The event will be live-streamed on Facebook through the following link: https://www.facebook.com/centro.nacional.de.alta.tecnologia

For more information about the ENERGYTRAN project, please visit the official website: https://energytran.oei.int/

RESTORE4Cs trainings for scientists and policy makers

RESTORE4CS trainings

Malaga, Spain

Join the RESTORE4Cs Autumn Series of trainings for scientists and policy makers in November 2025!

The trainings will take place in Malaga (Spain), from 3 to 6 November, and they will focus on the main project output: a digital Decision Support System (DSS) that will provide stakeholders and wetland practitioners at all levels with more reliable estimation of cost and benefits in order to drive and prioritise wetlands restoration actions.

RESTORE4Cs Autumn School 2025 for the Scientific Community: November 3-6, 20 participants
RESTORE4Cs Training for Policy Makers: November 5-6, 10-15 participants
For more and upcoming details on the detailed programme, travel conditions and applications, follow up on the RESTORE4Cs website: https://www.restore4cs.eu/restore4cs-autumn-series-2025-save-the-date