BiodiversaPilot

The European Biodiversity Partnership (Biodiversa+) is a Horizon Europe project started in 2021 in the framework of the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, which fosters quality research on biodiversity monitoring and creates connections between environmental authorities and other key partners.

The Autonomous Province of Bolzano/South Tyrol became member in this partnership in september 2021 by signing a Grant Agreement with the European Commission, in the framework of the new programming of European funds Horizon Europe 2021-2027. A part of the activities of Biodiversa+ are carried out by Eurac Research as third party in accordance with the Province of Bolzano.

The partnership's programme supports the EU Biodviersity Strategy 2030 and is divided into 5 Work Packages (WP) each dedicated to a key objective and 4 cross-cutting Work Packages for communication, coordination and stakeholder engagement. 

Work Package 2 (WP2) of Biodiversa+ is aimed at promoting and supporting transnational biodiversity monitoring, building on the outcomes from the complementary project EuropaBON.

Within WP2, a pilot project on biodiversity monitoring was launched in 2023. The project comprised of 3 sub-pilots, each one reflecting flagship programmes of Biodiversa+: one on invasive plants and insect alien species, one on soil biodiversity and one on governance, data interoperability and standards. The sub-pilots aim at increasing transnational communication, highlight issues in the coordination between member states and testing the possibilities for standardization of monitoring schemes and methodologies.

Eurac Research, as third party of the Province of Bolzano/South Tyrol, participates in all 3 sub-pilots as active contributor and acts also as coordinator in the sub-pilot 2 on soil biodiversity. Both, the Soil Biodiversity and the IAS subpilot were extended for the year 2024. The Soil Biodiversity subpilot will again be coordinated  by Eurac Research and we will also contribute again for the IAS subpilot. Additionaly, we plan to contribute for two new subpilots for the years 2024 and 2025: One will be about grassland and wetland mapping using remote sensing and one includes the installation of devices for accustic monitoring of birds, bats and grasshoppers.