Fiber Sensing with Submerse at the GNA-G Network eAcademy Working Group

GNA-G

Eleonora Parisi (LifeWatch ERIC), will present “Fibre Sensing: Submerse project” at the GNA-G Network eAcademy Working Group. The eAcademy explores synergies with research and education institutions and projects, to make training contents created by the broader R&E community, available to the whole community.

The eAcademy includes contents from the GNOC at Indiana University and the SoBigData Academy, the Quantum Technologies Track includes training from the EuroQCI project, the Optical Time & Frequency Networks track includes contents from CERN and the initial work on Fibre Sensing will include information from the Submerse project.
SUBMERSE (SUBMarine cablEs for ReSearch and Exploration) was an innovative EU-funded project (2023 – 2026) that aimed to utilise existing submarine cables, already used by the research and education networking community, to monitor the ocean and its systems.
Repurposing a submarine fibre-optic network as an environmental sensing infrastructure requires the right skills and knowledge. SUBMERSE has developed a range of training and capacity-building resources to help researchers and technical specialists get the most out of rich fibre-sensing data for seismology, oceanography, and marine biology.

In this session, Eleonora Parisi will present the SUMBERSE training programmes, see how the collaboration with the Network eAcademy is working and participate to the broader debate on knowledge management platforms.
More info: https://events.geant.org/event/2186

TDWG 2026: LifeWatch ERIC and LifeWatch Italy at the Biodiversity Information Standards annual conference

TDWG 2026

Oslo, Norway

Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) is a non-profit organisation, and a community, formed to establish international collaboration among the creators, managers and users of biodiversity information and to promote the wider and more effective dissemination and sharing of knowledge about the world’s heritage of biological organisms.

Initially called the Taxonomic Database Working Group (hence the acronym TDWG) the Biodiversity Information Standards organisation develops, ratifies and promotes standards, and guidelines, for the recording and exchange of data about organisms. It also acts as a discussion forum on all the biodiversity information management aspects.

Every year, TDWG holds its annual conference, and this year the event is taking place in Oslo, Norway, from 21 to 25 September, under the theme “Research and Robot-ready Biodiversity Data Standards”. This theme highlights the importance of data standards able to meet the needs of scientific research, but usable by automated processing systems. The conference is a major international event for researchers, data infrastructure managers, collection managers, developers, and experts from national and international organisations. This year, it is jointly organised by GBIF Norway, the University of Oslo Natural History Museum and the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre.

LifeWatch ERIC’s CTO Anne Fouilloux, and LifeWatch Italy members Andrea Tarallo, Cristina Di Muri, and Jessica Titocci will attend the event with presentations and panel discussions.

For more information about this event, visit: https://www.tdwg.org/conferences/2026/#

ENVRI-Hub NEXT at EGI 2026

EGI Conference 2026 (1)

Ghent, Belgium

The annual EGI conference takes place from 21 to 25 September 2026. Organised by the EGI Foundation, in collaboration with partners from the EGI Federation, the event brings together digital and research infrastructure providers, data scientists, policy-makers, and innovators, to advance data-intensive science.

This year, the conference is also a chance for the ENVRI-Hub NEXT Project members to gather together for the project’s final meeting, on 21 and 22 September, and hold a public session included in the EGI Conference programme.

The session, called “Aligning and exploiting environmental data to overcome global challenges”, addresses the need to shift from siloed data collection to integrated, interdisciplinary analysis, to tackle the complexity of global environmental challenges. The ENVRI-Hub NEXT project is at the forefront of this transition, providing the technical framework to align environmental data streams into a cohesive, machine-actionable ecosystem.

Gabriel Pelouze (LifeWatch ERIC) will contribute in the Panel with guests from environmental research organisations (more info about the full session here: https://indico.egi.eu/event/6931/sessions/5591/#20260923).

2nd ENVRI-Hub User Group Meeting

ENVRI User Group

The ENVRI-Hub provides access to environmental research infrastructure, data, and digital tools across multiple disciplines. It helps researchers tackle environmental challenges by offering interoperable, FAIR resources. A collaborative space, called the ENVRI-Hub User Group, allows users of the ENVRI-Hub to collaborate, test new tools, provide direct feedback, define training needs, and join a network of like-minded individuals.

On 10 November 2026, the ENVRI-Hub users will meet again, online, to explore the live ENVRI-Hub deployment, discover advanced functionalities updates, and gather final feedback to help steer the platform’s sustainability and future updates.

The registration is available for members of the Users Group, click here to join it: https://envri.eu/envri-hub-user-group

ToScA UK & Europe 2026

ToScA UK & Europe 2026

Thessaloniki, Greece

The Tomography for Scientific Advancement society (ToScA) represents the International Tomography community, providing a platform to promote, advance and support innovation, share knowledge and encourage collaborations.

From 2 to 4 September 2026, the society is hosting its 18th annual Tomography for Scientific Advancement symposium, at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Greece.

The conference provides a forum for open scientific discussion, exchange of ideas, and networking across disciplines: a unique opportunity to engage with fellow researchers, microtomography enthusiasts, and commercial industry representatives.

This year’s scientific programme includes a broad, multidisciplinary range of tomography applications, with dedicated themes including biological (hard and soft) tissue imaging and 3D materials characterisation (including for pharmaceutical technology).

LifeWatch Greece is attending the event, with Niki Keklikoglou presenting the abstract “Advancing marine research through 3D imaging at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research”.

SERE 2026

SERE 2026 Brest

Brest, France

From 24 to 28 August, the University of Brest’s Geoarchitecture Laboratory in close collaboration with SER-Europe and the ‘REVER’ network host SERE 2026: the 15th European Conference on Ecological Restoration.

The main objective of this 15th edition is to share knowledge and strengthen links between stakeholders in ecological restoration, with a focus on ecological, social, and political considerations.

The conference welcomes contributions on aspects of ecosystem restoration, types of ecosystems and territories, especially overseas, and includes topics that are usually less well-integrated, such as the restoration of ecological networks (particularly dark infrastructure) and marine ecosystems.

Particular attention is paid to the restoration of wetlands and coastal ecosystems, very present in Brittany, and the application of European Law on Nature restoration legislation and the implementation of National Restoration Plans.

For more information, visit: https://sere2026.sciencesconf.org/resource/page/id/6

BBCC2026 – Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Conference

BBCC2026

Naples, Italy

The 21st edition of the Annual Conference “BBCC2026 Bioinformatics and Computer Biology” will be held in Naples, Italy, from 21 to 23 October 2026, in the Chiostro San Francesco.

The three-day event brings together researchers and professionals working in bioinformatics, computational biology, and related fields, combining high-level scientific discussion, with practical learning experiences. The scientific programme will explore some of the most relevant developments in modern biomedical and computational research, with particular attention to artificial intelligence, quantum computing, structural biology, gene engineering, and data science.

Invited talks will provide insights into innovative approaches and emerging technologies that are changing biological and biomedical research. Alongside the conference keynote and thematic sessions, the programme will also offer practical training opportunities designed to strengthen participants’ computational skills, focusing on topics such as the analysis and interpretation of omics data, biological network analysis, and reproducible computational workflows.

For more information, visit: https://www.bbcc-meetings.it/bbcc2026/bbcc2026-program-and-venue

ECSA 61: the Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association Conference 2026

Brussels, Belgium

From 24 to 27 August 2026, a global, multidisciplinary community of researchers and professionals is gathering in Belgium to discuss the urgent challenges posed by the triple planetary crisis – climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution – with threats to biodiversity representing a particularly major concern for both the planet health and human societies. This is the focus of “ECSA 61: Bridging the gap between science and policy in estuarine and coastal marine biodiversity: the way forward“. Organised by Elsevier and the ECSA Association, the conference features sessions and workshops across four main topics: Physics, Ecology, Biogeochemistry, and the Human Dimension.

The focus is on international collaborative actions across maritime areas where there is urgent need to assess and manage threats, and to plan future initiatives that ensure a sustainable use of estuaries, coasts, and seas.

Building on the results of several Horizon Europe projects, this will also be an opportunity to showcase the most recent advances in coastal marine research, and their application for European and international policies. For the first time, ECSA 61 also includes a “Science-meets-Policy” day on 27 August, providing an opportunity to discuss research findings with managers and decision-makers.

For more information on this event, visit: https://www.estuarinecoastalconference.com

MARBEFES Autumn School 2026

MARBEFES Autumn School 2026

Lecce, Italy

From October 26 to 29, 2026, the Autumn School “Protecting marine biodiversity with the MARBEFES Toolbox” will be held in Lecce, Italy.

Its objectives include: showcasing the various tools and services integrated in the Toolbox created under MARBEFES to enhance its uptake, demonstrating practical applications of these tools and their impacts in real contexts to maximise their exploitation, and conducting an hands-on session where participants can experiment with the Toolbox and its services.

Participants will also learn how to best help practitioners and policy makers maximise the ecological value, and optimise a sustainable socio-economic use of the marine system for present and future generations.

For the duration of the programme, MARBEFES will provide participants with travel, lodging, and lunch (according terms and conditions).

More details in the coming weeks, stay tuned!

High-throughput biodiversity monitoring workshop by BMD project:

BMD Biodiversity Monitoring Workshop

Seville, Spain

The Biodiversity Meets Data project (BMD), aims to enhance access to high-throughput biodiversity monitoring tools, analyses, and data to support evidence-based conservation efforts across Europe.

On 5 and 6 November 2026, BMD is offering another exciting opportunity to learn how to use new monitoring and AI analysis tools, focused on the detection of species listed under the Habitats and Birds Directives. The workshop will take place in Seville, Spain, right after the Eurosite Annual Meeting, where the project’s team will be facilitating various interactive sessions under the theme Conservation & Monitoring.

Workshop participants will gain practical training on biodiversity monitoring and analyses, including camera traps and acoustic recorders with AI species identification, and publication of biodiversity data in GBIF.

Participation is limited to 30 places! Express your interest via this online form until 1 September 2026: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdS-6zwzYOGeOZliCGukApDgLy08QJolk-uEjHmHHzj6IaXpw/viewform

More info about the workshop: https://bmd-project.eu/news/biodiversity-meets-data-high-throughput-biodiversity-monitoring-workshop-analysing-and-mobilising-camera-trap-acoustic-recorder-data