Policy Makers
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Welcome to our policy makers’ page.
Here you will find specialised content for policy makers, such as projects, events, official documents and more.
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Strategic direction: integration, collaboration & impact
Guided by its Strategic Working Plan 2022–2026, LifeWatch ERIC is:
- Integrating its distributed infrastructure across Europe,
- Streamlining access across Common Facilities and National Distributed Centres,
- Mobilising its national nodes and scientific communities,
- Fostering partnerships with both public and private sectors, and the engagement of civil society,
- Supporting co-design and co-development of e-services with end-users, enabling reproducible, data-driven discoveries across biological and ecological scales,
- Contributing to European and international biodiversity agendas.
LifeWatch ERIC in the European Research Area (ERA)
Scientific Excellence: A Unique Niche
LifeWatch ERIC plays a pivotal role in strengthening the ERA through:
- Active participation in 25 EU project consortia, among which in ENVRI Community and EOSC Clusters,
- Integration with global aggregators (e.g. GBIF, OBIS) and open data partners (e.g. PLAZI, Species 2000),
- Development of the Biodiversity Knowledge Hub, a single point of access for taxonomy and biodiversity information,
- Creation of a Science Knowledge Graph to federate and organise data from multiple sources,
- Collaboration with other ERICs and research infrastructures (eLTER, DiSSCo, ELIXIR, etc.).
LifeWatch ERIC is the only European Research Infrastructure focused exclusively on biodiversity and ecosystems, offering:
- Integration of FAIR-compliant data, analytical workflows, and simulation tools,
- Services for multidisciplinary and cross-domain research, from molecular biology to ecosystem services,
- Construction of advanced Virtual Research Environments for hypothesis testing and predictive modelling.
LifeWatch ERIC in the European Research Area (ERA)
Scientific Excellence: A Unique Niche
LifeWatch ERIC plays a pivotal role in strengthening the ERA through:
- Active participation in 25 EU project consortia, among which in ENVRI Community and EOSC Clusters,
- Integration with global aggregators (e.g. GBIF, OBIS) and open data partners (e.g. PLAZI, Species 2000),
- Development of the Biodiversity Knowledge Hub, a single point of access for taxonomy and biodiversity information,
- Creation of a Science Knowledge Graph to federate and organise data from multiple sources,
- Collaboration with other ERICs and research infrastructures (eLTER, DiSSCo, ELIXIR, etc.).
LifeWatch ERIC is the only European Research Infrastructure focused exclusively on biodiversity and ecosystems, offering:
- Integration of FAIR-compliant data, analytical workflows, and simulation tools,
- Services for multidisciplinary and cross-domain research, from molecular biology to ecosystem services,
- Construction of advanced Virtual Research Environments for hypothesis testing and predictive modelling.
Documents
You can find LifeWatch ERIC official documents here.
Latest update: 08/10/2026 12:14:01 | 40 Folders | 244 Documents
Watch our presentation video to find out who we are and how we work.
For a comprehensive understanding of what we do, read our 2025 Activities Report.
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Latest News for Policy Makers
A new framework for the sustainable management of European Research Infrastructures
A new paper, entitled “Eleven Tenets for the Integrated, Evolving and Sustainable Management of European Research Infrastructure Consortia”, has recently been published in the Biodiversity Data Journal. The paper is authored by Christos Arvanitidis, Cristina Huertas Olivares, Mike Elliott, Alberto Basset, Anne Fouilloux, Ohad Graber-Soudry, D. (Dimitris) Koureas, Lucas de Moncuit, Roland Roberts, Antonio José Saenz-Albanes and Peter van Tienderen. Research Infrastructures play an increasingly important role in scientific discovery, innovation and evidence-informed policy. At the same time, their management has become increasingly complex, requiring scientific, technological, organisational and societal aspects to be considered together rather than in isolation. The paper proposes an eleven-tenet framework for the integrated, evolving and sustainable management of European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERICs). Building on previous tenet-based approaches, the framework brings together scientific, technological, economic, administrative, political, legal, societal, environmental, ethical, cultural and communication dimensions within a single structure. A new, eleventh tenet focuses on...
UNESCO International Day of Caves and Karst: A New Global Platform for Exploration, Research, and Protection
Nadja Zupan Hajna, Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU, International Union of Speleology (UIS) On 12 November 2025, the UNESCO General Conference proclaimed 13 September as the International Day of Caves and Karst (IDCK). The new International Day provides a permanent global platform for raising awareness of the importance of caves and karst for biodiversity, water resources, geodiversity, scientific research, cultural heritage and sustainable development. Caves and karst systems are often hidden from view, yet they contain unique natural archives and support highly specialised ecosystems, including many endemic and cave-adapted species that depend on stable subterranean environments. This makes the International Day particularly relevant to the LifeWatch ERIC community, where biodiversity research, long-term observation, data integration and the study of specialised habitats are central themes. Subterranean ecosystems are especially vulnerable to environmental change, pollution, changes in groundwater conditions, land use and other human pressures. Better knowledge of these environments is therefore...
MEDCONNECT, the Mediterranean Lighthouse of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”, launches in Limassol
Source: MEDCONNECT press release Connecting blue innovators and scaling solutions across the Mediterranean: this is the mission of MEDCONNECT, the Mediterranean Lighthouse of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” officially launched on 29 September 2026 at the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in Cyprus. At a time when the Mediterranean is under growing pressure from climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, MEDCONNECT aims to move promising innovations beyond the pilot stage and into real coastal environments, accelerating their deployment, financing and uptake across the region. The public event took place at the Chamber’s premises in Limassol, Cyprus, opening the MEDCONNECT kick-off meeting on 29-30 September. The launch event included an institutional welcome, a presentation of MEDCONNECT, high-level diplomatic remarks by Ambassadors and representatives of Mediterranean countries participating in the project. The two-day meeting was the first opportunity to bring the full partnership around the same table, align...
SERE 2026: LifeWatch ERIC attends the European Conference on Ecological Restoration
Last week, members of LifeWatch ERIC Jorge Osman and Cristina Huertas-Olivares attended the SERE 2026 Conference, the 15th edition of the European Conference on Ecological Restoration, organised by the University of Brest's Geoarchitecture Laboratory in close collaboration with SER-Europe and the 'REVER' network. The main objective of this event was to share knowledge and strengthen links between stakeholders in ecological restoration, with a focus on ecological, social, and political considerations. The conference tackled all aspects of restoration, across different types of ecosystems and territories, including some usually less well-integrated topics, such as the restoration of ecological networks (particularly dark infrastructure) and marine ecosystems. Moreover, the scientific programme dedicated particular attention to the restoration of wetlands and coastal ecosystems, the application of European nature restoration legislation and the implementation of National Restoration Plans. These topics are particularly relevant to the RECUP-DAS project, which aims to support the restoration and sustainable management...
LifeWatch ERIC joins ECSA 61: the Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association Conference 2026
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, in fact, 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, in particular 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...
Wetland restoration projects join forces and speak to policy: read the joint White Paper
Collaboration is at the hearth of real impact in research. It is especially encouraging when members of research projects work together, combining their expertise, scientific evidence, and practical knowledge to deliver a shared message with one strong, science-based voice. We are glad to announce the release of a joint, landmark white paper from a group of EU-funded projects on wetlands restoration: RESTORE4Cs, ALFAWetlands, REWET, WET HORIZONS, ForPet, Wetland4Change, and Palus Demos. The paper is called "Prioritising Wetland Conservation and Restoration in Europe | United voices for more policy impact". It collects scientific evidence, policy analysis, and direct experience from research actions across Europe, with the shared objective to push for urgent and coordinated action to halt wetland degradation, and accelerate its restoration. In particular, drawing on evidence gathered from the collaborating projects, the white paper has identified four priority areas for policy action: Improving policy coherence across sectors Mobilising public...
15th International Polychaete Conference: the role of RIs in Polychaete Biodiversity Science
From 27 to 31 July 2026, the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum of Frankfurt (Germany) is hosting the 15th International Polychaete Conference (IPC15), bringing together researchers and students working on all aspects of polychaete biology. From systematics and morphology, to ecology, physiology, development and evolution, each day of the conference is centred around a specific aspect of polychaete research, and is introduced by a keynote talk: Thomas Bartolomaeus, from Bonn University in Germany, introduces "Morphology and Physiology"; Joana Zanol, from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, introduces "Taxonomy, Systematics and Phylogenomics"; Monika Bright, from Vienna University in Austria, introduces "Ecology, Biodiversity & Conservation"; Elaine Seaver, from Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience - USA, introduces "Model Annelids & Evo-Devo". The programme includes 15-minute contributed sessions and a poster exhibition. Christos Arvanitidis, LifeWatch ERIC's CEO, is attending the Conference and presenting the abstract "From Ecology to Omics:...
Project RECUP-DAS members at the University of Huelva for the 3rd Executive Monitoring Committee meeting
On 24 June, the Faculty of Experimental Sciences at the University of Huelva hosted the third Executive Monitoring Committee meeting for the RECUP-DAS project, an initiative co-funded by the European Union through the Andalusia ERDF Programme 2021–2027. The aim of RECUP-DAS is to apply DAS (Dispersed Alkaline Substrate) technology to reduce the presence of metals resulting from acid mine drainage and to develop advanced scientific monitoring and digitalisation capabilities that will enable the assessment and tracking of the environmental recovery of the River Odiel. The meeting was attended by Susana Benavides, Director-General for Water Resources at the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of the Regional Government of Andalusia, and Javier Marcial de Torre, Managing Director of the Andalusian Environment and Water Agency (AMAYA), organisations which are collaborating on the project alongside the University of Huelva and LifeWatch ERIC. During the meeting, progress was reported on the...
FAIR2Adapt secures EOSC Gravity funding and launches FAIR Solution webinar series
FAIR2Adapt (https://www.lifewatch.eu/fair2adapt) is a multidisciplinary Horizon Europe project coordinated by LifeWatch ERIC, aiming to enable the development of comprehensive, and scientifically-sound climate adaptation strategies and plans, by transforming data into actionable knowledge. The project has recently been selected for funding under the EOSC Gravity Inter Projects Grants call. The funded initiative, ROH-ON (https://eosc.eu/horizon-europe-projects/roh-on), will onboard two core FAIR Digital Object services -ROHub (https://www.rohub.org) and FAIROs (https://ostrails.eu/fairos) - into the EOSC Federation through the EOSC Polish Node (EOSC-PL) over the next six months. Led by Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center (PSNC) and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), with LifeWatch ERIC contributing through its connection to the OSCARS-FIESTA project (https://oscars-project.eu/projects/fair-image-analysis-across-sciences), ROH-ON establishes sustainable FAIR infrastructure for the Climate Change Adaptation community. This creates a concrete onboarding pathway for further FAIR2Adapt services. In parallel, FAIR2Adapt launched its FAIR Solution webinar series, offering practical insights into the FAIR tools and workflows developed as part...
Highlights from BEeS 2026: Four days of biodiversity science in Plovdiv
From 7 to 10 July, the biodiversity and ecosystem research community gathered in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, for LifeWatch ERIC's Biodiversity and Ecosystem eScience Conference (BEeS 2026), bringing together 216 registrants from 28 countries (and co-located with LifeWatch ERIC's General Assembly). Across four days of scientific exchange, discussions, and hands-on activities, researchers and infrastructure experts explored how digital technologies (including artificial intelligence) have the potential to shape the future of biodiversity and ecosystem research. As LifeWatch ERIC's flagship event, each edition of BEeS is hosted by one of its Distributed Centres, and this year the spotlight was on LifeWatch Bulgaria, with the conference taking place at the Agricultural University - Plovdiv (AUP). The event opened with welcoming remarks from AUP Rector Prof. Boryana Ivanova, and Vice-rector Prof. Dimo Atanasov, alongside Prof. Alberto Basset, Interim Director of LifeWatch ERIC's Service Centre, and Christos Arvanitidis, LifeWatch ERIC's CEO. The expertise of the Bulgarian Distributed...
Agroecology Monitoring experts meet in Rome
The European AGROECOLOGY Partnership gathers together the European Commission and 72 partners across member states, associated countries, and third countries, in order to accelerate the transition to agroecology, making farming systems more resilient, productive, and climate/biodiversity-friendly through Living Labs and Research Infrastructures. Currently, the Partnership is developing an innovative monitoring framework that includes indicators, methodologies, and data management tools to track and measure the social, economic, environmental performances and impacts of the agroecology transition in Europe. In the initial stage of this process, three thematic workshops were organised, focusing on agro-environmental, economic, and socio-cultural/governance, to build on expert knowledge generated by previous experiences. These workshops identified key priorities, needs and shared challenges that have informed the development of a Conceptual Framework (CF) proposing a logical structure for monitoring agroecology and its sustainability effects. Building on this foundation, a second event was organised in Rome, on 9 and 10 June, to...
Processing open weather radar data in an operational pipeline
From 24 to 26 June 2026, the University of Amsterdam hosts the 5th International Radar Aeroecology Conference (IRAC 2026: https://hirad.science/irac-2026). This event covers the latest international developments relevant to the use of different types of radars to monitor and understand flying animals, and this year it includes an optional two-day workshop taking place before the conference, on the use of weather radar for applications in aeroecology. On this occasion, researchers from the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics presented their latest work: processing weather radar data from across Europe to create vertical profiles, revealing the movements of animals migrating through the skies. High-quality radar data is only available for a few days, so workflows must run regularly to capture it. That’s why LifeWatch ERIC teamed up with these researchers to build a new feature in our software, enabling scientists to schedule their workflows automatically, and ensuring vertical profiles are generated...
Riding the Wave: Advancing the EU Ocean Pact through Science, Innovation and Cooperation – LifeWatch ERIC joins the discussions in Cyprus
On 11 and 12 May 2026, the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union invited delegations to attend the Conference “Riding the Wave: Advancing the EU Ocean Pact through Science, Innovation and Cooperation”. The event was organised by the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy (DMRID) of the Republic of Cyprus, together with the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (CMMI) and ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence. Representatives from EU institutions, Member States, research organisations, industry, and innovation platforms gathered together to explore how ocean science and maritime innovation can more effectively inform European policy, competitiveness, and sustainability. LifeWatch ERIC's CEO Christos Arvanitidis joined a panel in the Plenary Session 2: Restoring Ocean Health in Europe: From Marine Science to Policy, Innovation and Societal Action. The session explored how scientific knowledge, research infrastructures and innovative solutions can better support effective restoration policies and regulatory frameworks. LifeWatch ERIC also...
LifeWatch ERIC in Lecce at the launch of the NBFC Biodiversity Gateway Demo Center
On 29 May 2026, the city of Lecce, home to the LifeWatch ERIC Service Centre, launches the new Demo Center of the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) Biodiversity Gateway, Italy’s first national portal fully dedicated to biodiversity and coordinated by the National Research Council of Italy (CNR). The Biodiversity Gateway seeks to build stronger relations between research institutions, local communities, schools, public administrations and businesses, fostering awareness and action around biodiversity conservation and environmental sustainability. In this light, the Demo Center will act as a new public space where citizens can connect with scientific research on biodiversity through immersive and interactive installation, digital storytelling and participatory experiences: a new hub for science communication and public engagement. The aim is to make complex scientific knowledge more accessible, and the project is promoted by Italy's National Research Council (CNR), together with Regione Puglia, the Polo Biblio-Museale di Lecce, the Province of Lecce,...
Invasive Alien Species in freshwater and marine environments
Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are animals, plants, fungi or other microorganisms that, introduced accidentally or intentionally in a different environment than their natural one, can bear serious consequences for the new environment (you can find several episodes of our Podcasts dedicated to this topic by clicking on the tag Invasive Alien Species). Besides the negative impacts of IAS on biodiversity, ecosystem services, food security and human well-being, there is also a huge cost related to the management of these biological invasions. In addition to that, biodiversity conservation actions are often constrained by a lack of alignment between governance frameworks and the ecological reality, that operates regardless of political boundaries. This aspect is addressed in a Policy Brief recently published by GuardIAS, a Horizon Europe project launched in 2025 that focuses on the growing threat of IAS in freshwater and marine environments. Key points of the brief are the fragmentation of...
A new framework for the sustainable management of European Research Infrastructures
A new paper, entitled “Eleven Tenets for the Integrated, Evolving and Sustainable Management of European Research Infrastructure Consortia”, has recently…
UNESCO International Day of Caves and Karst: A New Global Platform for Exploration, Research, and Protection
Nadja Zupan Hajna, Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU, International Union of Speleology (UIS) On 12 November 2025, the UNESCO General…
MEDCONNECT, the Mediterranean Lighthouse of the EU Mission "Restore our Ocean and Waters", launches in Limassol
Source: MEDCONNECT press release Connecting blue innovators and scaling solutions across the Mediterranean: this is the mission of MEDCONNECT, the…
SERE 2026: LifeWatch ERIC attends the European Conference on Ecological Restoration
Last week, members of LifeWatch ERIC Jorge Osman and Cristina Huertas-Olivares attended the SERE 2026 Conference, the 15th edition of…
LifeWatch ERIC joins ECSA 61: the Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association Conference 2026
From 24 to 27 August 2026, a global, multidisciplinary community of researchers and professionals is gathering in Belgium to discuss…
Wetland restoration projects join forces and speak to policy: read the joint White Paper
Collaboration is at the hearth of real impact in research. It is especially encouraging when members of research projects work…
15th International Polychaete Conference: the role of RIs in Polychaete Biodiversity Science
From 27 to 31 July 2026, the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum of Frankfurt (Germany) is hosting the…
Project RECUP-DAS members at the University of Huelva for the 3rd Executive Monitoring Committee meeting
On 24 June, the Faculty of Experimental Sciences at the University of Huelva hosted the third Executive Monitoring Committee meeting…
FAIR2Adapt secures EOSC Gravity funding and launches FAIR Solution webinar series
FAIR2Adapt (https://www.lifewatch.eu/fair2adapt) is a multidisciplinary Horizon Europe project coordinated by LifeWatch ERIC, aiming to enable the development of comprehensive, and…
Highlights from BEeS 2026: Four days of biodiversity science in Plovdiv
From 7 to 10 July, the biodiversity and ecosystem research community gathered in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, for LifeWatch ERIC’s Biodiversity and…