Joint event - From European Preparedness to Global Resilience: The Strategic Role of European Research Infrastructures
5th November 2026, Brussels
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European research infrastructures (RIs) and partners come together in Brussels to explore how coordinated research capacity can strengthen preparedness for future health emergencies
Brussels, 5 November 2026 — The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that scientific excellence and individual resources alone are not enough to respond effectively to emerging infectious diseases. Rapid access to expertise, biological resources, capacities such as high containment laboratories, and data—and, crucially, the ability to coordinate them across institutions and borders—is essential. On 5 November 2026, European and international initiatives in the field of pandemic preparedness and response will come together in Brussels for the hybrid event “From European Preparedness to Global Resilience: The Strategic Role of European Research Infrastructures.” The event is jointly organised by the European projects EVORA, INTERCEPTOR and ISIDORe, supported by the European research infrastructures EVA, ERINHA and ELIXIR. It will provide the opportunity to showcase the achievements and impact of these flagship RI initiatives in strengthening European and global pandemic preparedness and response (PPR), and provide a platform to discuss lessons learned, identify remaining gaps, and explore future priorities for a more coordinated and resilient preparedness ecosystem.
Connecting Europe's research infrastructure ecosystem
European RIs are an essential component of Europe's preparedness landscape. They provide access to capabilities ranging from high-containment facilities and pathogen collections to advanced technologies, data resources and bioinformatics platforms. The value of these research infrastructures is amplified when their capabilities can be connected and mobilised collectively. By working across infrastructures, Europe brings together complementary expertise and resources, avoiding duplication, and facilitating a faster and more coordinated response to emerging pathogen threats. The event will highlight examples of this collaborative approach and explore how the European RI ecosystem can continue to evolve from a collection of specialised research platforms towards a more connected and sustainable preparedness capacity.
From research collaboration to societal impact
The programme will bring together scientists, research infrastructure representatives, policymakers, public health authorities, funding organisations and international partners.
Four sessions will explore key questions for the future of pandemic preparedness:
What added-value do pandemic preparedness and response RIs provide to society?
The first session will showcase concrete examples of how RIs contribute scientific resources, expertise and services relevant to public health and pandemic preparedness.
Why is cross-infrastructure collaboration essential?
The second session will examine the evolving European preparedness landscape and highlight results from projects, networks and initiatives that have created new connections between research infrastructures at European and international level. Examples from recent events and exercises will illustrate how collaboration can translate into practical preparedness capacity.
How can RIs contribute at the science-policy interface?
The third session will explore the international policy landscape for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, including the role of the World Health Organization and other international frameworks. It will also consider how RIs can help ensure that the perspectives and needs of the scientific community inform policy development.
What role should RIs play in the future preparedness landscape?
The final session will look ahead, examining how European RIs can move beyond their traditional role as research platforms and contribute to a permanent and sustainable capacity for pandemic preparedness and rapid research response to emerging threats.
Preparing for the next health emergency
The event comes at a time when the lessons of COVID-19, as well as the current Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, continue to shape European and global approaches to pandemic preparedness. A central message is that preparedness cannot be built during a crisis. It requires sustained investment, collaboration and coordination between scientific communities, research infrastructures, public authorities and policymakers.
“The Covid-19 pandemic showed that having available research capacities is not enough for responding to a crisis: being able to rapidly mobilize these capacities in a coordinated manner can make the difference. European RIs have worked on interconnecting their resources and expertise and furthermore, on identifying critical bottlenecks that slow down their mobilization. The Brussels meeting is an opportunity to share these lessons learned and to collectively reflect on how these capacities can be best integrated in the long-term pandemic preparedness plan of Europe.”
Pr. Bruno Coutard, DG EVA-AISBL and coordinator of EVORA
“Europe has world-class research infrastructures, but scientific excellence alone is not enough. Their true strategic value lies in our ability to connect and mobilise these capacities as a coordinated system. ISIDORe, EVORA and INTERCEPTOR demonstrate how cooperation between research infrastructures, both within Europe and globally, can transform fragmented capabilities into a powerful resource for global health security.”
Dr Audrey Richard, ERINHA’s Deputy Director and Coordinator of ISIDORe and INTERCEPTOR
The Brussels meeting will provide an opportunity not only to reflect on achievements since COVID-19, but also to identify priorities for the next phase of European pandemic preparedness and to strengthen the partnerships needed to address future emerging pathogen threats.
The event will be held in Brussels on 5 November 2026 and will be accessible online.
Register here to follow online.
