BBMRI-ERIC welcomes the Italian Presidency

Rome: The pan-European Biobanking and BioMolecular resources Research Infrastructure – European Research Infrastructure Consortium (BBMRI-ERIC) would like to take the opportunity to welcome the start of the Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

BBMRI-ERIC is specifically supporting the Presidency’s prioritisation of research infrastructures and shares its conviction that open and productive research infrastructures will significantly advance Europe’s capacity to generate new ideas and create jobs.

Having obtained ERIC status, BBMRI-ERIC also welcomes the focus on the implementation of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) roadmap as well as the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) instrument, ensuring coherence with smart specialisation strategies at regional and macro-regional level.

BBMRI-ERIC is a pan-European research infrastructure which provides access to quality controlled human biological samples, such as blood, tissues, cells or DNA, and associated clinical and research data.

These resources are essential for unravelling genetic and environmental factors underlying diseases and influencing their outcome.

Consequently BBMRI-ERIC will be instrumental in increasing competitiveness of health-related research and industry and provides a basis for the advancement of human health.

According to the latest evaluation of research infrastructures of the ESFRI roadmap BBMRI-ERIC is one of the leading European infrastructures. The strong Member State engagement already achieved in its preparatory phase makes BBMRI-ERIC an important infrastructure to further develop the European Research Area and to achieve the strategic R&D goals of Europe.

BBMRI-ERIC will furthermore increase efficacy and excellence of European bio-medical research by facilitating access to quality-defined human health/disease-relevant biological resources, including associated data in an efficient and ethically and legally compliant manner, by reducing the fragmentation of the bio-medical research landscape through harmonization of procedures, implementation of common standards and fostering high-level collaboration and by capacity building in countries with less developed biobanking communities.

Following this year’s edition of “HandsOn: Biobanks” in Helsinki, next year the event co-organised by BBMRI-ERIC will take place from 29th to 31st of July in the context of the EXPO 2015 in Milan.

HandsOn Biobanks will be hosted by the University Milano-Bicocca, one of the most prestigious Italian institutions. The scientific programme will cover the major topics with plenary and parallel sessions, interactive platforms, with the support of many sponsors.

It will be a chance for attendees from all over the world to share ideas and to build on international collaborations. The HandsOn: Biobanks 2015 conference will be a part of the Work Programme for BBMRI-ERIC for years to come.

In addition to its strong scientific case, BBMRI-ERIC developed new models of public-private-partnerships to enhance impact on industry and to better integrate research and innovation.

BBMRI-ERIC has obtained strong global recognition and will become a model for how research infrastructures contribute to building a knowledge-based economy.

In this context, BBMRI-ERIC is particularly looking forward to the Informal Meeting of Ministers for Competitiveness (COMPET) on 21-22 July 2014 which is devoted to infrastructures.


EXPO 2015 in Milan Enquiries:

Prof. Marialuisa Lavitrano
University of Milano-Bicocca
Chair Local Organizing Committee HandsOn:Bionaks 2015
Email: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]


Giulia Biscossi
Triumph Group International
Via Arco, 4
20121 - Milano
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Mobile: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]


Media Enquiries

Jessica Hadjis
ISC Intelligence in Science
Email: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]
Mob: [phone]
www.iscintelligence.com

Or

Vera Hörmann
ISC Intelligence in Science
Email: [e-mail]
Tel: [phone]
www.iscintelligence.com


Editor’s Note

BBMRI-ERIC

www.bbmri-eric.eu

On 3 December 2013, BBMRI was officially awarded the Community legal framework for a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC). This specific legal form is designed to facilitate the joint establishment and operation of research infrastructures of European interest. The ERIC status allows pulling together biobanks and biomolecular resources into a pan-European facility and providing access to collections of partner biobanks and biomolecular resources, their expertise and services on a non-economic basis.

BBMRI-ERIC shall establish, operate and develop a pan-European distributed research infrastructure of biobanks and biomolecular resources in order to facilitate the access to resources as well as facilities and to support high quality biomolecular and medical research. BBMRI-ERIC operates on a non-economic basis.

BBMRI-ERIC is set up as a distributed research infrastructrure in most, if not all European Member States. BBMRI-ERIC consists of 17 Member States, making it one of the largest research infrastructures in Europe.

Members: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Sweden

Observer Countries: Norway, Poland, Switzerland, Turkey, IARC/WHO

Countries

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, United Kingdom