INFRAFRONTIER side event at ICRI 2026

EU AUS BRIDGES: Building an Intercontinental Health and Life Sciences Research Infrastructure Ecosystem

We are pleased to announce that INFRAFRONTIER will organise a side event at the International Conference on Research Infrastructures ( ICRI), bringing together European and Australian stakeholders to explore opportunities for strengthening intercontinental cooperation in health and life sciences research infrastructures.

Entitled “EU AUS BRIDGES: Building an Intercontinental Health and Life Sciences Research Infrastructure Ecosystem”, the session will examine how Europe and Australia can move beyond individual collaborations towards a more structured, sustainable partnership between their research infrastructure ecosystems.

Research infrastructures play an increasingly important role in addressing global scientific and societal challenges. In health and life sciences, scientific progress relies on access to advanced technologies, specialised expertise, interoperable data and trusted digital environments. Strengthening international cooperation is therefore essential to enable excellent research, accelerate innovation and address shared challenges.

From the Prato White Paper to practical cooperation

The session will build on the momentum generated by the Prato White Paper, “Building an Intercontinental RI Ecosystem in Health and Life Sciences: Opportunities for Australia–Europe Collaboration”, which highlighted the potential for closer cooperation between European Health and Life Sciences Research Infrastructures and Australia’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) ecosystem. While strong links already exist between European and Australian infrastructures, the White Paper identified the need for a more coordinated approach to overcoming shared challenges related to governance, infrastructure access, data interoperability, workforce development and long-term sustainability.

Against the backdrop of Australia’s association to Horizon Europe Pillar II, the event will explore how a dedicated research infrastructure cooperation framework could complement broader EU–Australia research and innovation partnerships.

Building bridges between research infrastructure ecosystems Bringing together perspectives from both continents, the session will explore the potential role of the European Life Sciences RI Strategy Board and the Australian NCRIS Health Group in supporting a structured partnership. Discussions will focus on four key areas:

• Reciprocal access: Facilitating access to complementary research infrastructure services, facilities and expertise across Europe and Australia.
• Data interoperability and responsible AI: Enabling trusted, secure and FAIR health data collaboration while respecting privacy, data sovereignty and emerging AI governance frameworks.
• Workforce development: Strengthening skills, professional networks and knowledge exchange through training and staff mobility.
• Policy alignment: Developing coordinated approaches to governance, funding, sustainability and responsible international cooperation.

The event will also explore the proposed EU–Australia Life Sciences RI Forum as a potential mechanism for joint priority setting, stakeholder engagement and long-term coordination.

Towards a sustainable intercontinental partnership

Through policy-oriented discussions and contributions from European and Australian research infrastructure representatives, the session aims to identify practical pathways for translating shared ambitions into sustained cooperation. By connecting two mature and complementary research infrastructure ecosystems, EU AUS BRIDGES will contribute to shaping a new model for international collaboration in health and life sciences, supporting scientific excellence, trusted data sharing and long-term strategic partnerships. Further information, including the programme and speakers, will be announced soon.