CETAF was represented by its Executive Director, Ana Casino Rubio, at the Biodiversa+ Enlarged Stakeholder Board meeting held in Paris from 23 to 26 March 2026.
During the meeting, members of Biodiversa+’s Enlarged Stakeholder Board (ESB) and Advisory Board (AB) came together to reflect on the Partnership’s ongoing activities and its future direction.
These boards play a key role in Biodiversa+, bringing external perspectives from science, policy, business and civil society. Their contributions help to challenge assumptions, identify gaps, and guide strategic choices. At a time when the Partnership is preparing for its future beyond the current Horizon Europe framework, their input is particularly critical.
Informing strategy at a turning point
A central focus of the discussions was Biodiversa+’s transition strategy. With EU co-funding expected to evolve after 2027, the Partnership is exploring how to sustain its activities while maintaining its core mission.
Exchanges with ESB and AB members helped clarify key questions, including which functions Biodiversa+ should preserve, where it brings the most added value at European level, and how it can remain relevant in an increasingly complex landscape of initiatives.
There was strong support for maintaining Biodiversa+’s role as a platform connecting research, policy and practice, while sharpening its strategic focus and priorities.
From knowledge to uptake
A recurring theme was the need to strengthen knowledge uptake. Participants emphasised that the challenge is often not the lack of knowledge, but ensuring that it is accessible and usable in practice across different audiences, including policymakers, practitioners, and businesses.
This has implications for how outputs are designed and shared. Suggested approaches included developing more accessible formats such as policy briefs, case studies and concise summaries, working more closely with intermediaries, and focusing on formats that support real-world application.
These reflections will feed into upcoming activities, including the Biodiversa+ Dialogue event in May.
Strengthening biodiversity monitoring
Monitoring remains a core area of Biodiversa+’s work. Discussions highlighted both the scale and fragmentation of monitoring efforts across Europe, and the need to better connect and synthesise them.
The development of BioDash was presented as a response to this challenge, aiming to improve access to monitoring information, support decision-making, and identify data gaps across regions.
Participants agreed that Biodiversa+ plays an important role in structuring and supporting biodiversity monitoring at European level, although questions around long-term sustainability and coordination remain.
Engaging with business
Business engagement was another key topic. Biodiversa+ is developing a strategy to better connect biodiversity research with business needs, including areas such as data use, risk assessment, and nature-based solutions.
Discussions highlighted both opportunities and challenges, particularly in aligning research outputs with business expectations and avoiding duplication with existing initiatives.
Biodiversa+ is seen as having a valuable role as a facilitator, connecting actors and providing relevant knowledge, while ensuring a targeted and realistic approach.
Looking ahead
The meetings provided valuable input at a key moment for Biodiversa+, helping to clarify priorities and identify areas for further development. They also reinforced the importance of collaboration across communities.
In the coming months, these insights will contribute to the development of the Partnership’s transition strategy, as well as ongoing work on business engagement, monitoring and communication.
Source: Biodiversa+