Euro-BioImaging ERIC
Euro-BioImaging
Euro-BioImaging ERIC is a pan-European research infrastructure offering open access to state-of-the-art technologies, training, and data services for biological and biomedical imaging.
ID: 064596197393-22
Lobbying Activity
Response to European strategy on research and technology infrastructures
22 May 2025
Euro-BioImaging ERIC welcomes the initiative to develop a coherent strategy for Research Infrastructures (RIs). As a pan-European RI providing open access to state-of-the-art biological and biomedical imaging services, we represent a critical component of the ERA scientific backbone. RIs as enablers of excellent research and innovation must be broadly recognised in the next Framework Programme. RIs are the foundational enablers of the high-quality, curiosity-driven research upon which all innovation is built. RIs are central pillars of the ERA, enabling scientific excellence, strategic autonomy, technological sovereignty and competitiveness. 1. Fund RI development and access The proposed strategy seeks to enhance competitiveness. It must do so by acknowledging that Europes innovation capacity stems from excellent fundamental research. RIs provide the physical and intellectual infrastructure to pursue such research across disciplines, including the EU Missions. Recommendation: Boost RI access funding. Fund European RIs, the key enablers of scientific excellence and innovation, central to sustaining the ERA's scientific foundations. 2. RIs catalyse Interdisciplinary Discoveries Euro-BioImaging exemplifies how cutting-edge RIs enable cross-disciplinary research and discoveries, from basic cell biology to neuroscience, human disease research, agroecology, precision medicine and beyond domains that have immediate industrial applications e.g. in biotechnology and drug development, and are essential to long-term socioeconomic impact and public health. Recommendation: Emphasise the importance of sustaining RIs that support fundamental research and facilitate breakthrough discoveries in academia and industry. 3. RIs serve Industry RDI RIs foster pan-European research and innovation tools, expertise and ecosystems, serving as trusted environments providing the absolutely necessary tools and applications for academic and industry RDI. Recommendation: Recognise the role of RIs for providing structured research services across national and disciplinary boundaries for academic and industry research, innovation and technology development. Fund schemes that enable industry to employ the full capacities of RIs to strengthen Europes scientific leadership and competitiveness. 4. Foster Talent at RIs RIs train thousands of scientists annuallynot only in instrument use but in e.g. imaging chemical probes, data stewardship, image analysis, technology development and complex experimental design. Yet career pathways in RI operation, technical development, and scientific support remain undervalued and underfunded. Recommendation: Establish structured, recognised and well-funded career tracks within RIs and for cross-sectorial career tracks between RIs and industry for technical staff, scientific project managers and domain experts to retain talent in Europe and foster RIs operational excellence and competitiveness. 5. Use existing RIs The EC and EU Member States have invested significantly in world-class RIs, such as those in the ESFRI roadmap. Fragmenting this ecosystem by establishing new parallel infrastructure models risks duplicating efforts. Recommendation: Prioritise the support and sustainable development of existing RIs. Fund ongoing RDI enabled by such RIs (including their technological and digital activities) to maximise the impact of investments and RI synergies. Promote RIs in the European FAIR data and AI ecosystem. In conclusion, the European Strategy on RIs must: - Explicitly recognise the foundational role of RIs in advancing RDI - FUND ACCESS: Support fundamental and applied research through funding access to world-class RIs - FUND RI DEVELOPMENT, including new services: Maintaining RIs at the global cutting edge is necessary for ensuring competitive RDI - Develop RI-based career paths to sustain Europes R&I talent - Enhance pan-European collaboration rather than fragmenting the RI ecosystem
Read full responseResponse to EU Life sciences strategy
17 Apr 2025
Euro-BioImaging ERIC welcomes the ECs initiative to develop a strategy for European Life Sciences. As a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), we provide open access to cutting-edge biological and biomedical imaging technologies, essential for advancing research, innovation, and competitiveness across sectors. ERICs such as Euro-BioImaging are critical in sustaining Europes scientific leadership in life sciences by enabling high-impact research and excellent science as well as supporting the development of critical new technologies, while conferring ecosystem resilience through knowledge preservation and exchange. Europes ambition to remain a global leader in life sciences is not just an economic goalit is a societal necessity. From the perspective of researchers and European society, several priorities stand out. Sustained investment in cutting-edge and curiosity-driven research and innovation is essential. Europes scientific community has delivered extraordinary insights and technologies, but progress is hindered by fragmented funding and a lack of long-term support. The strategy must ensure stable frameworks and funding pathways that enable the interdisciplinary collaborations necessary to tackle complex life science challenges. Open science and data-driven research must be at the core. Ensuring that research data, methods, services and results are FAIR and shared across borders accelerates innovation, avoids duplication, and fosters trust. The EU should lead in implementing strong incentives and infrastructures for open and collaborative science. Talent and skills development must be prioritized. Europe needs to support its next generation of scientists and technical experts through training, career stability, and mobility opportunitiesespecially in highly specialized, technology-driven areas of life science research. Equity and societal engagement are crucial. Research agendas should reflect the needs of diverse communities across Europe. Citizen engagement, responsible research practices, and ethical frameworks must guide the development and application of life science innovations. European research infrastructures in the life sciences (LS RIs, https://lifescience-ri.eu/home.html) provide open access to advanced technologies and expertise across life sciences and biomedical research. These infrastructures must be recognized as strategic assets for implementing the Life Sciences Strategy. They provide the technological backbone and know-how that allow researchersfrom academia, hospitals, and industryto generate high-quality, reproducible data and drive discovery. Their role in accelerating innovation, enabling training, and supporting translation from lab to clinic or market is central. Cross-sector collaboration should be embedded in the strategy. The LS RIs connect public research institutions with companies and startups, offering innovation ecosystems where advanced technologies are developed, validated, and applied in real-world contextsfrom personalized medicine to agricultural biotech. International collaboration cannot be overlooked. Life sciences challenges are global. Here, Euro-BioImaging as a founding member in Global BioImaging contributes to Europes global leadership by fostering shared standards, knowledge exchange, and cooperation with research communities worldwide. Public data repositories must be funded and coordinated across borders. Imaging, omics, and other life science technologies are among the largest and fastest-growing data producers. The LS RIs are pioneering efforts to make this data FAIR and usable at scale, contributing to a European Health Data Space and broader data-driven innovation. The EU Life Sciences Strategy must embrace the full spectrum of stakeholdersfrom researchers and infrastructures to citizens, policymakers and SMEsand deliver a coordinated, long-term vision.
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