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LifeWatch Spain

Plaza España SN,
SECTOR II-III
41071 Seville, Spain

Spain hosts the Statutory Seat and the ICT e-Infrastructure Technical Offices, assisting in the day-to-day coordination and management of LifeWatch ERIC.

The LifeWatch Spain 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).

These three bodies have signed the LifeWatch ERIC-Spain Agreement (ratified by the Ministry of Finance and Public Administrations, with the subsequent agreement of the Council of Ministers) and make up the Steering and Monitoring Committee of the LifeWatch Spain Joint Research Unit (hereinafter, JRU LW.ES).

The main goal of the JRU LW.ES is to foster R+D+I activities related to LifeWatch ERIC, thus better coordinating the actions of Spain in this and other international initiatives.

Organisation

The JRU LW.ES works with some thirty institutions and R+D+I organisations, including:

three OPIs (the Spanish Council for Scientific Research-CSIC, CIEMAT and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography-IEO and INTA),
the Deputation of Huelva; the City Councils of Sevilla and Malaga-OMA,
Port Authorities (Cartagena, Huelva and Seville),
the Network of River Basin Authorities (led by the Guadalquivir River Basin Authority),
Scientific, Technological and Innovation Parks (the Extremadura STIP Network one Andalusian STIP),
Technological Centres (three Andalusian, one Galician),
five public-private foundations (including the MITECO Biodiversity Foundation),
and a dozen universities and Centres of International Excellence in Andalusia, Cantabria, Extremadura, Madrid and Navarra.

Activities

The Ministry for Ecological Transition-MITECO has made available its databases, which constitute the most complete store of knowledge on Biodiversity in Spain. These databases include those of the National Inventory of Natural Heritage and Biodiversity (in accordance with article 9 of Law 42/2007), the General Water Directorate, the Spanish Agricultural Guarantee Fund (FEGA), the River Basin Authorities (whose information systems have recently been improved in terms of their interoperability) and the General Directorate of Fisheries (linked to the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, as well as those related to the construction of Green Infrastructure in Spain and the Biodiversity Foundation itself. Also noteworthy are the connections of LifeWatch Spain to the Natura2000 Network, the EU-Atlantic-Latin America and the Caribbean Foundation, IPBES, UNECE, Copernicus and EIT Climate-KIC, among others.

All of these bodies and institutions share a concern for and an interest in understanding the characteristics and impacts of Climate Change on biodiversity and ecosystem management, in addition to the pressures arising from a growing population that are causing desertification, the depletion of water reserves and associated natural resources and serious loss of Biodiversity. This loss, as well as the changes that are occurring in biological systems, is seen in both rural and urban environments, affecting terrestrial, marine and fluvial species. Some examples of this are the spread of invasive alien species such as the water hyacinth and the zebra mussel, the extensive decline in holm oaks, the Zika virus, an increased rate of allergies due to the presence of pollen from other latitudes, etc.

The policies of sustainability and conservation at the urban, regional and national levels, designed and developed by the competent Public Authorities, and the actions of those responsible for environmental management necessarily rely on scientific knowledge of what is happening and on the evaluation of the effectiveness of the implemented measures.

News from LifeWatch Spain

RitrainPlus November Events: project management and tools for Research Infrastructure efficiency

The RitrainPlus project is organising a Knowledge Exchange Workshop, and a Community of Practice meeting, both taking place this November. RitrainPlus aims to bring together research infrastructures, core facilities, business management schools and European universities, in an innovative collaboration designed to transform the access and empowerment of human resources. European research infrastructures and core facilities will benefit from the RitrainPlus skill-base, helping to drive their professionalisation, efficiency and long-term value creation. Knowledge Exchange Workshop: Organised jointly by ICOS and ACTRIS, the online workshop is dedicated to the management of a portfolio of European projects at 360 degrees. This event is...

Advancing Global Energy Solutions at the first EULAC Energytran Virtual Thematic Event

The EULAC Energytran project held its first Virtual Thematic Event on 26 and 27 June, titled "Strengthening Europe – Latin America Cooperation in the Energy Transition". The event brought together stakeholders from Europe, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean. The participants - around two hundred - included representatives from scientific communities, universities, policymakers, research infrastructures, project managers and private sector actors, alongside the consortium partners. Our Ana Mellado and Maite Irazábal participated to represent LifeWatch ERIC's role in the project. This project addresses common energy challenges between the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean. focusing on improving the...

LifeWatch ERIC and GBIF join forces in support of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

LifeWatch ERIC and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) are meeting from 30 May to 2 June, 2023, to support the Kunming-Montreal package of decisions adopted by the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, approved at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, in December 2022.

Opening up good practices and e-research collaboration opportunities in the Mediterranean with PRIMA Foundation

The LifeWatch ERIC ICT-Core held an extensive working meeting at their headquarters in the Cartuja Science and Technology Park in Seville, with Octavi Quintana, Director of PRIMA Foundation.PRIMA’s Director left an important legacy as Director of "European Research Area", Directorate-General for Research and Innovation at the European Commission, while fostering the development of Research Infrastructures and policies. LifeWatch ERIC and PRIMA – The Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area – are exploring collaboration opportunities with the intention of extending good practices and use of e-research tools in Mediterranean countries.The aim of the PRIMA Foundation is to build...

LifeWatch ERIC strengthens international outlook at the EU-LAC Knowledge Forum

On 24–25 April, LifeWatch ERIC participated in the working groups of the EU-LAC Knowledge Forum, held in Montevideo, Uruguay. The event was organised by the EU-LAC International Foundation, with the Uruguayan International Cooperation Agency (AUCI) and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) as main partners. Its purpose was to generate input to feed the agenda of the high authorities of the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean at the Summit of Heads of State and Government in the field of access to knowledge, higher education, and science, technology, and innovation. This CELAC-EU Summit of Heads of State...

LifeWatch ERIC to Host Upcoming ALL-READY Regional Workshop

We are excited to announce the upcoming 2nd ALL-READY Regional Workshop, entitled "Accelerating the Agroecology Transition: Your potential role and benefits of contributing to a European Network of Living Labs and Research Infrastructures". This interactive discussion session will take place on 11 May 2023, at the LifeWatch ERIC ICT-Core premises in Seville, Spain, and will also be available online as a hybrid event. The workshop is organised by LifeWatch ERIC, Thünen Institute and INRAE as part of the ALL-Ready project, and will focus on exploring the potential of a European Network of Living Labs and Research Infrastructures to enable the transition towards...

The European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency inaugurated in Seville

The 18 April 2023 saw the inauguration of the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency, ECAT. Like LifeWatch ERIC, it is headquartered in Seville, where the inauguration took place. ECAT is part of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission – its in-house science and knowledge service – and works in close cooperation with the Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT). Its objectives are to systematise ethics in the use of digital technologies, and to generate and disseminate FAIR data – in line with the mission of LifeWatch ERIC. ECAT will provide the Commission with in-house technical...

SOURCES workshop: Integrating historical sources for long-term ecological knowledge and biodiversity conservation

LifeWatch ERIC contributed to the international 'SOURCES' workshop, in which more than 40 researchers from countries such as France, Germany, Canada, the United States, Poland, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Denmark and Spain took part in Seville. Its objective was to integrate historical sources for long-term ecological knowledge and biodiversity conservation, part of WP3 of the SUMHAL Project, promoted by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and LifeWatch ERIC, and it is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). SUMHAL’s aim is to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity in natural...

Inauguration of the International Centre for Development and Innovation in Agroecology and Agrobiodiversity

On 31 March 2023, in the Huelvan municipality of La Palma del Condado, known for its agricultural and wine-growing activity, the office of the International Centre for Development and Innovation in Agroecology and Agrobiodiversity (CIDIA) was inaugurated. CIDIA aims to become an internationally-relevant cutting-edge centre in the innovation and development of sustainable agricultural practices, in line with the EU Green Deal, the Farm to Fork strategy, the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, the new EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. CIDIA's general objective is the development of studies, tools and demonstrative experiences that foster the transition...

The LifeWatch Community Platform is here!

Roll up, roll up! LifeWatch followers and collaborators are cordially invited to the grand unveiling of the LifeWatch Community platform, now openly available to everyone! Who should become a member? Well, if you’re interested in biodiversity and ecosystem research, then you should! The content of the Community platform will be widely shaped by its members, allowing them to create and contribute to forums, add opportunities, jobs and events of interest to the community, and hold meetings and collaborative brainstorming together with other members. These features are particularly well-suited to the needs of partners involved in European projects focused on biodiversity,...

LifeWatch ERIC for Blue Innovation at the Port of Cádiz

The Port Authority of the Bay of Cádiz has kickstarted its blue innovation strategy with the Conference 'Innovation at the service of port competitiveness', featuring the participation of local, national and international agents in the field of innovation, research and entrepreneurship. Among these were LifeWatch ERIC, Puertos del Estado (Spanish government), the University of Cádiz, Telefónica, Archangelus Systems and Total Maritime Solutions. President of the Port Authority, Teófila Martínez, who in turn chairs the RETE Association for Collaboration Between Ports and Cities, explained “the need to intensify innovation efforts in order to assume and assimilate the technological revolution and the impact it...

IBERLifeWatch contributes to defining a sustainable hunting model for biodiversity conservation

LifeWatch ERIC has contributed to the scientific debate on defining the conditions in which hunting can play a potentially positive role in biodiversity conservation, by presenting models of innovative and sustainable management of natural capital. In certain conditions, hunting could be used as a conservation measure, when a lack of natural predators drives populations of protected species to numerical overgrowth and the severe overexploitation of their trophic resources; this is what was argued at the 10th edition of the International Hunting Fair (FICAR), a biannual event, which took place in Rosal de la Frontera in the province of Huelva. In...

LifeWatch ERIC Explores Synergies with the Mediterranean SOLE Energy Efficiency Project

Last week, the LifeWatch ERIC ICT-Core & FEDERTech office, located in the Cartuja Science and Technology Park in Seville, hosted partners from seven Mediterranean countries composing the backbone of the SOLE Project. It focuses on energy efficiency in public buildings, framed within the ENI CBC MED programme, and involves regional corporations, municipalities, public agencies and research centres from Italy, Egypt, Greece, Tunisia, Jordan, Spain and Lebanon. The ICT-Core & FEDERTech technological and project management team held an extensive working meeting with the 17 SOLE delegates, exploring how to model future collaborations to better face the challenges of climate change. SOLE, “High...

Strengthening Cooperation at the AERAP Africa-Europe Science & Innovation Forum

This week, LifeWatch ERIC participated in the AERAP Africa-Europe Science and Innovation Forum, an event to reinforce the contribution of research and science through digital technologies and advance collaboration between European and African institutions through strategic innovation programmes. The forum was held in the South African Embassy in Brussels, and focused on the EU Partnership Strategy with Africa, the African Union-European Union Innovation Agenda, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, compliance with the SDGs, and the Strategy on Research Infrastructures. LifeWatch ERIC Chief Technology Officer, Juan Miguel González-Aranda, presented in the session 'Microbial sciences for a sustainable future', which also...

Voices of Women at LifeWatch ERIC for International Women’s Day

In preparation for this year’s International Women’s Day, LifeWatch ERIC International Gender Officer, Africa Zanella, had a clear request: amplify women’s voices. As explored in the “Gender, Equity and Research” campaign for last year’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science, statistically, we know that while more women than ever are getting involved in STEM, there are significant obstacles still to overcome for women in research. In light of International Women’s Day 2023, we have therefore created a podcast miniseries specifically dedicated to learning more about authentic experiences of women working in LifeWatch ERIC fields of interest. We asked scientists...