Periodic Reporting for period 1 - IBISBA-DIALS (IBISBA - Delivering the Infrastructure As a Legal Structure)
Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30
Acknowledging that the European Union must swiftly embrace new technologies to support future innovation, economic growth and industrial autonomy, the European Commission is currently preparing a strategic plan to boost biotechnology for biomanufacturing. In this context, the launch of the operational phase of IBISBA, a distributed European Infrastructure for BIotechnology Services for BiomAnufacturing, is a priority.
The IBISBA-DIALS project is a coordination and support action whose workplan is designed to deliver IBISBA, an ESFRI project since 2018, as a fully operational research infrastructure with legal status. In doing so, the project is expected to provide Europe with a unique research infrastructure purposed to provide cutting edge support to researchers and innovators working in the field of biotechnology for biomanufacturing, irrespective of whether they are employed in the public or commercial sectors.
The IBISBA-DIALS project intervenes at an advanced stage of the IBISBA launch process, since previous projects already provided the opportunity to complete the design and preparation phases. Accordingly, the current project focuses on delivering IBISBA as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC). To reach this goal numerous activities focus on key aspects, covering as the launch of the ERIC process, gaining and maintaining political traction throughout the process, expanding the stakeholder community, developing the business processes that will support future operations and gaining international recognition.
The IBISBA-DIALS project is a coordination and support action whose workplan is designed to deliver IBISBA, an ESFRI project since 2018, as a fully operational research infrastructure with legal status. In doing so, the project is expected to provide Europe with a unique research infrastructure purposed to provide cutting edge support to researchers and innovators working in the field of biotechnology for biomanufacturing, irrespective of whether they are employed in the public or commercial sectors.
The IBISBA-DIALS project intervenes at an advanced stage of the IBISBA launch process, since previous projects already provided the opportunity to complete the design and preparation phases. Accordingly, the current project focuses on delivering IBISBA as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC). To reach this goal numerous activities focus on key aspects, covering as the launch of the ERIC process, gaining and maintaining political traction throughout the process, expanding the stakeholder community, developing the business processes that will support future operations and gaining international recognition.
Regarding the creation of IBISBA-ERIC, i.e. the central ambition of IBISBA-DIALS, considerable progress has been made. Since the beginning of the project, a strong effort focused on the completion of the legal statutes, the technical and scientific description and preparation of the financial plan, all of these being prerequisites for the ERIC application process. Working with strong support and guidance from several country representatives gathered in the IBISBA Steering Committee, all of these documents were prepared, thus providing France (the designated host of the future IBISBA-ERIC legal seat) with the means to initiate step 1 of the ERIC process. This was achieved in March 2025 when France submitted the application to the European Commission. Follow-up work is now focused on preparing house rules of operation and mandatory IBISBA policy statements.
Equally important for IBISBA’s future viability is wide stakeholder buy-in from IBISBA Member countries. For this purpose, a sustained effort has led to the preparation and launch of several national nodes. Currently, Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands and Spain possess politically-endorsed national nodes in different stags of development. Similarly, work in IBISBA-DIALS has created new political traction and stakeholder mobilisation in Germany and the United Kingdom. Finally, a RTO in Sweden and a university in Denmark have officially declared support and interest in IBISBA and ongoing work is exploring interest in Estonia.
Regarding capacity building, work has also been focused on preparing business processes and designing key features of the IBISBA-ERIC project management system (PMS). Excellent progress has been made in this area, meaning that IBISBA is now in a position to launch a PMS prototype and renew the IBISBA catalogue of services.
To secure the future credibility of IBISBA-ERIC within its stakeholder community, work has begun on the development its science and technology foresight work, building a framework of responsible research and innovation and on defining how IBISBA-ERIC will contribute to education and training. All of these activities are underway and expected to provide permanent features (in the form of panels, think-tanks, taskforces etc) of IBISBA-ERIC in the future.
Equally important for IBISBA’s future viability is wide stakeholder buy-in from IBISBA Member countries. For this purpose, a sustained effort has led to the preparation and launch of several national nodes. Currently, Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands and Spain possess politically-endorsed national nodes in different stags of development. Similarly, work in IBISBA-DIALS has created new political traction and stakeholder mobilisation in Germany and the United Kingdom. Finally, a RTO in Sweden and a university in Denmark have officially declared support and interest in IBISBA and ongoing work is exploring interest in Estonia.
Regarding capacity building, work has also been focused on preparing business processes and designing key features of the IBISBA-ERIC project management system (PMS). Excellent progress has been made in this area, meaning that IBISBA is now in a position to launch a PMS prototype and renew the IBISBA catalogue of services.
To secure the future credibility of IBISBA-ERIC within its stakeholder community, work has begun on the development its science and technology foresight work, building a framework of responsible research and innovation and on defining how IBISBA-ERIC will contribute to education and training. All of these activities are underway and expected to provide permanent features (in the form of panels, think-tanks, taskforces etc) of IBISBA-ERIC in the future.
At the outset of IBISBA-DIALS, political support and stakeholder engagement was emerging, with only France and Italy possessing clearly defined national nodes. During the course of the project, this has changed drastically, with several countries successfully launching national nodes and securing recognition of IBISBA on national roadmaps. Likewise, commitment of Steering Committee members (i.e. representatives of governments supporting IBSIBA) has heightened and engagement deepened. At the end of 2024, France was able to gather expressions of intent to engage from seven partner countries. This is an encouraging indication of future commitment to IBISBA-ERIC.
Other IBISBA-DIALS work focused on expansion and visibility have been fruitful, casting the foundations of further growth in Germany, Scandinavian countries and in widening countries such as Estonia and Portugal. These encouraging first steps will be pursued in order to ensure that IBSIBA-ERIC is well-positioned to democratise access to research infrastructure operating in the biotechnology space.
Presently, the IBISBA community and Steering Committee are awaiting the response of the European Commission regarding its application to create IBISBA-ERIC. In the meantime, further accomplishments are increasing the infrastructure’s readiness for operation. Specifically, significant progress is steadily providing IBISBA with the processes that will underpin operations. In this regard, original work on the service catalogue and an abstraction hierarchy for service delivery has provided the basis for a highly original service offer adapted to the specific requirements of translational research in biotechnology.
Other IBISBA-DIALS work focused on expansion and visibility have been fruitful, casting the foundations of further growth in Germany, Scandinavian countries and in widening countries such as Estonia and Portugal. These encouraging first steps will be pursued in order to ensure that IBSIBA-ERIC is well-positioned to democratise access to research infrastructure operating in the biotechnology space.
Presently, the IBISBA community and Steering Committee are awaiting the response of the European Commission regarding its application to create IBISBA-ERIC. In the meantime, further accomplishments are increasing the infrastructure’s readiness for operation. Specifically, significant progress is steadily providing IBISBA with the processes that will underpin operations. In this regard, original work on the service catalogue and an abstraction hierarchy for service delivery has provided the basis for a highly original service offer adapted to the specific requirements of translational research in biotechnology.