Biodiversity innovation: Enabling technology for nature and green growth

Biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation are among the most pressing challenges of our time. The temporary suspension of the UN Biodiversity Conference in Colombia, and its continuation in a resumed session in Rome, shows that it’s a delicate terrain and a lot is at stake. At the core of the EU's Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and a pillar of the European Green Deal, nature conservation and green growth require innovative, cost-effective, and scalable solutions. As land-use change, climate change and pollution place increasing pressure on species and habitats, the ability to understand and predict how biodiversity responds is critical to securing the planet’s future. Yet, despite the unprecedented volumes of biodiversity-related data now being generated - from satellite imaging to field observations and environmental DNA - Europe still faces a fundamental challenge: how to turn this fragmented, complex data into actionable insight. Making the best possible use of this wealth of information is essential to guiding real-time decisions in conservation, land management, climate adaptation and economic growth. 

A new wave of biodiversity innovation is emerging, utilising cutting-edge genomic tools as digital monitoring systems with great potential to draw on AI-powered decision-making. Just as genomics has transformed human medicine, it now offers powerful tools for biodiversity—enabling rapid, accurate identification of species, assessment of genetic diversity and genetic health, and better tracking of ecosystem changes. For instance, biodiversity genomics unlocks new ways to monitor species, protect pollinators, control invasive species and manage species of societal value, and restore habitats. And DNA-based techniques have already demonstrated value in driving innovation in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and other bioeconomy sectors. Furthermore, biodiversity genomic methods are highly complementary to other areas of innovation in biomonitoring and enable ground truthing of approaches such as remote sensing and earth observation. In essence, this emerging field of biodiversity genomics sits at the intersection of several top EU policy priorities. However, despite these breakthroughs, Europe has not fully capitalised on the potential of biodiversity genomic innovation, which requires a coherent and sustainable framework to operate and deliver widespread adoption.

Against this backdrop, several questions arise:

• What are the most promising biodiversity genomic innovations for enhancing ecosystem resilience and climate adaptation?
• What operational bottlenecks prevent the wider uptake of biodiversity-related emerging genomic technologies in conservation, biomonitoring and real-world applications?
• What infrastructure is needed to ensure continuity, interoperability, application and open access to biodiversity genomic data?
• How can biodiversity genomic technologies accelerate green growth by stimulating innovation in agriculture, forestry, bioprospecting, and other bioeconomy sectors?
• Looking ahead to the 10th EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation and other relevant EU programmes, what funding mechanisms and governance models would ensure the sustainability of a Europe-wide biodiversity genomics research infrastructure?
• How can Europe leverage its innovation potential in biodiversity genomics, becoming a driving force for tackling systemic biodiversity challenges? 

To address these questions, Science|Business, in partnership with the Horizon-funded project Biodiversity Genomics Europe, is convening a group of key policymakers, researchers, industry leaders, and civil society actors to explore how the most promising biodiversity genomic innovations can be scaled up as practical solutions for Europe’s environmental and economic transformation. The event will connect scientific advances with policy frameworks and ambitions to shape policy recommendations and investment strategies moving forward.