EU-Wide Advantages and Opportunities for “Co-design of the SPSI Methodological Infrastructure of the Future Science Service for Biodiversity (SSBD)”

1. Overview of the Grant

*Call Identifier: HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-19*

This Horizon Europe topic funds the co-design of a pan-European, next-generation methodological infrastructure (SPSI) feeding the Future Science Service for Biodiversity (SSBD). It aims to interlink data, models, services and stakeholders in order to generate actionable knowledge for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration across the EU.

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2. Single Market Access – Reaching 450 + Million Consumers & End-Users

• Pan-European Deployment: Outputs (data services, modelling tools, decision-support dashboards) can be rolled out simultaneously in all 27 Member States without customs or tariff barriers.

• Public-Sector Uptake: 100 000+ local authorities and national agencies gain direct access via the EU’s public procurement directives, drastically broadening the user base beyond national pilots.

• Private Market Pull: Environmental consultancies, agri-food chains, insurers and FINTECHs can embed SSBD services into EU-wide product lines, benefiting from passporting rights under the Single Market.

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3. Cross-Border Collaboration & Knowledge Exchange

• Transnational Consortia: Horizon Europe requires multi-country consortia (min. 3 Member/Associated States), catalysing partnerships among universities, SMEs, research infrastructures (e.g., LIFEWATCH ERIC, GBIF, Copernicus).

• Mobility & Talent: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions, Erasmus+ and COST networks can be leveraged for staff exchanges, PhD co-supervision and short-term scientific missions.

• Shared Data Standards: Co-design ensures interoperability across national biodiversity databases, overcoming legacy fragmentation.

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4. Alignment with EU Flagship Policies

• European Green Deal: Direct contribution to the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the Nature Restoration Law.

• Digital Europe & Data Strategy: Facilitates a common European data space for the environment, using FAIR principles and open science mandates.

• Fit-for-55 & CAP Reform: Supports climate-smart agro-ecological monitoring essential for policy reporting (LULUCF, eco-schemes).

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5. Regulatory Harmonisation Benefits

• One-Stop Compliance: Harmonised EU environmental reporting (INSPIRE, Habitats & Birds Directives) reduces multi-jurisdictional compliance costs.

• Standardised Licensing: Creative Commons & EU data licences simplify cross-border data flows, avoiding bespoke national agreements.

• GDPR-Ready: EU-wide privacy framework enables lawful processing of citizen-science and IoT data without 27 separate legal reviews.

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6. Access to Europe’s Innovation Ecosystem

• Research Infrastructures: Integration with ESFRI landmarks (e.g., LifeWatch, ELIXIR, Euro-BioImaging) accelerates technology readiness.

• Innovation Hubs & DIHs: Digital Innovation Hubs specialising in Earth observation and AI can pilot SSBD services with SMEs.

• EEN & KICs: The Enterprise Europe Network and EIT Climate/RawMaterials/Bioeconomy KICs provide matchmaking, IP advisory and market acceleration.

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7. Funding Synergies & Blended Finance

• Cascade Funding (FSTP): Part of the call budget can be re-granted to third parties (start-ups, NGOs) for plug-ins or data mobilisation.

• LIFE Programme: Post-project capital expenditures for habitat restoration can be co-financed under LIFE Nature.

• Interreg & Regional Funds: Cohesion Policy can scale infrastructure in less-developed regions, ensuring geographic balance.

• EIB & InvestEU: Debt or equity instruments can commercialise high-TRL services (e.g., subscription-based biodiversity analytics).

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8. EU-Scale Deployment & Impact Potential

• Critical Mass of Data: Pan-EU datasets strengthen statistical power and model accuracy, enhancing policy credibility.

• Replicability: Methodologies designed for 27 Member States are readily exportable to EU Overseas Countries and Territories and global biodiversity hotspots.

• Economies of Scale: Shared cloud, HPC and AI resources (EuroHPC JU) cut per-country costs and carbon footprint.

• Global Leadership: Positions the EU as a standard-setter for digital biodiversity monitoring, reinforcing strategic autonomy.

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9. Strategic Takeaways

1. Operate at EU Scale: Design services that comply with EU standards from day one to unlock automatic market entry in 27 countries.

2. Leverage Synergies: Map complementary programmes (LIFE, Digital Europe, Interreg) early to build a blended budget and extend project lifespan.

3. Embed in Policy Cycles: Align deliverables with EU policy milestones (e.g., 2024 Biodiversity Progress Report, 2026 CAP mid-term review). This maximises visibility and uptake.

4. Focus on Interoperability: Prioritise common data models (INSPIRE, OGC, GBIF) to ensure seamless integration and lower scaling friction.

5. Plan for Commercialisation: Engage EEN, EIT KICs and regional clusters to craft business models for post-grant sustainability.

Bottom Line: By harnessing the EU’s integrated market, harmonised regulations, and unparalleled innovation networks, this Horizon Europe grant enables stakeholders to co-create a future-proof, continent-wide biodiversity knowledge infrastructure with unparalleled scientific, economic and environmental returns.