Javier Saura Rascón

Department: ICT Core, Projects
Designations: EU Projects
Role: Project Manager
Email: javier.saura@lifewatch.eu
Location: Statutory Seat, Seville, Spain
Area of Expertise: Project management, transfer of results, intellectual and industrial property management, fundraising, technology strategy, international cooperation.

Project Executive Assistant

Master’s in Project Management, Master’s in Innovation, and a Bachelor’s in Labor Relations and Human Resources. Specialist in project management, innovation, and industrialization. He has led strategic R&D&I and industrialization plans in the aerospace and automotive sectors. His expertise includes securing funding, engaging with stakeholders, transferring research results, and managing intellectual and industrial property.

He has worked in the public sector, coordinating European programs such as Next Generation, URBAN, INTERREG, ESF, and ERDF, focusing on local development and employment. His achievements include leading industrialization projects in aerospace and automotive, formulating technological roadmaps, and participating in international cooperation projects in Guatemala and Guinea-Bissau.

Currently, he leads the preparation of ERDF project proposals for biodiversity impact monitoring in environmental restoration projects and the development of digital twins for protected areas. His profile blends strategic leadership, financial management, and an innovative approach to emerging technologies, with a strong results-oriented mindset.

See Publications

Development of VREs for Ecosystem Simulation (2026)

Creating virtual models of ecosystems to predict environmental changes.
Enhancing conservation strategies through AI-driven simulations.

Data Standardization & FAIR Principles Implementation (2025/2026)

Developing best practices for data curation and sharing.
Ensuring biodiversity data aligns with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) standards.

Collaborative Research & Case Studies (2025/2026)

Conducting pilot projects to test new monitoring methods.
Publishing scientific and popular science papers and reports on advancements in biodiversity assessment.

Meetings, Webinars, International Conferences & Networking (2025/2026)

Organising and participating at discussions on emerging technologies in biodiversity monitoring.
Organising webinars on machine learning, eDNA analysis, and automated data collection.
Fostering collaboration between researchers, technologists, and decision-makers.

Fund raising

End of January 2025 – Establishing a WG Committee on scouting project application opportunities and fundraising

Organising WG workshops and conferences

End of January 2025 – Setting priority research lines and contributions to the BEeS 2025 LifeWatch Conference for the session on the “Ecological responses to climate change”
March/April 2025 (TBD) – Workshop ‘Ecological modelling and eco-informatics to address functional responses of biodiversity and ecosystems to climate change’ co-organized with the University of Salento
30 June – 3 July 2025 – Participation to LifeWatch 2025 BEeS Conference on “Addressing the Triple Planetary Crisis”

Implementing services

End of January 2025 – Internal distribution of a questionnaire on the most used/relevant model resources in the WG member research activity
February 2025 (TBD) – Online working table on setting priorities, timeline and milestones for the mapping service and model requirements by scientists and science stakeholders

Mapping user requirements

End of January 2025 – Catalogue of services already available in LifeWatch ERIC or research lines addressing ecological responses to climate change
February 2025 (TBD) – Online working table on setting priorities, timeline and milestones for the mapping service and model requirements by scientists and science stakeholders

Bulgaria

The Bulgarian National Distributed Centre is represented by the Agricultural University-Plovdiv.

To know more about how Bulgaria contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Spain

The Spanish National 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). Moreover, Spain is the hosting Member State of LifeWatch ERIC, the location of its Statutory Seat & ICT e-Infrastructure Technical Office (LifeWatch ERIC Common Facilities).

To know more about how Spain contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Slovenia

The Slovenian National Distributed Centre is led by the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU). It focuses on the development of technological solutions in the field of biodiversity and socio-ecosystem research.

To know more about how Slovenia contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Portugal

The Portuguese National Distributed Centre is managed by PORBIOTA, the Portuguese e-Infrastructure for Information and Research on Biodiversity. Led by BIOPOLIS/CIBIO-InBIO – Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, PORBIOTA connects the principal Portuguese research institutions working in biodiversity.

To know more about how Portugal contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Netherlands

The Dutch National Distributed Centre is hosted by the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam. Moreover, The Netherlands hosts one of the LifeWatch ERIC Common Facilities, the Virtual Laboratory and Innovation Centre.

To know more about how The Netherlands contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Italy

The Italian National Distributed Centre is led and managed by the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and is coordinated by a Joint Research Unit, currently comprising 35 members. Moreover, Italy hosts one of the LifeWatch ERIC Common Facilities, the Service Centre.

To know more about how Italy contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Greece

The Greek National Distributed Centre is funded by the Greek General Secretariat of Research and Technology and is coordinated by the Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, in conjunction with 47 associated partner institutions.

To know more about how Greece contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Belgium

The Belgian National Distributed Centre makes varied and complementary in-kind contributions to LifeWatch ERIC. These are implemented in the form of long-lasting projects by various research centres and universities distributed throughout the country and supported by each respective political authority.

To know more about how Belgium contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.