10th anniversary of BBMRI-ERIC & BBMRI.at
BBMRI-ERIC celebrated its 10th anniversary, with a workshop at the Permanent Representation of Austria to the European Union in Brussels on 29 February 2024. Also BBMRI.at – the Austrian Node of BBMRI-ERIC – has its 10th anniversary.
As one of the largest European Research Infrastructure Consortiums, BBMRI-ERIC connects 25 member and observer states and more than 400 biobanks in Europe. Since its founding in 2013, it has made a constant effort to coordinate and harmonize the European biobanking landscape and advance biobanking research by leading and contributing to major international research projects, to which also BBMRI.at contributed e.g., SPIDIA4P, RD-CONNECT, CORBEL, CY-BIOBANK, and B3 Africa. By organizing events like the Annual Europe Biobank Week (EBW), EBW Roadshows and a CME accredited training programme for biobankers, BBMRI-ERIC – with support of its national nodes like BBMRI.at – enables continuous networking between biobanks of different nations, research institutions and industry partners. Furthermore, it provides valuable services and resources to the European biobanking community including a federated IT platform, ELSI research and guidance, quality management and the development of ISO/CEN standards, scientific outreach, educational efforts and project management.
The ten year anniversary workshop of BBMRI-ERIC in Brussels focused on the achievements and impact of BBMRI-ERIC between 2013 and 2023. The keynote by Prof. Walter Ricciardi (Chair of the EU Cancer Mission Board and the BBMRI-ERIC SEAB) was followed by an open discussion about the future aims and challenges of the consortium. The event was attended by staff of the BBMRI-ERIC headquarters, the National Nodes, biobanking community experts and political representatives including the Austrian Minister of Education, Science and Research Martin Polaschek and the European Commission’s Deputy Director General for Research and Innovation Signe Ratso. From BBMRI.at, Georg Göbel (National Node Director), Luka Brcic (Coordinator) and Cornelia Stumptner (Executive Manager) attended.
“I am delighted by the strong support and engagement of BBMRI-ERIC member states, the European Commission and all our partners. BBMRI-ERIC with its biobanks, National Nodes, Headquarters, and various expert and stakeholder groups has matured to a fully operational and scalable distributed infrastructure. Today, BBMRI-ERIC is well set to continuously serve and engage the community in Member States and wider, as well as to implement EU priorities across the European Research Area over the next decade.”, Prof. Jens K. Habermann, BBMRI-ERIC Director General.
Contact
BBMRI.at
Biobanking and BioMolecular resources Research Infrastructure Austria
Neue Stiftingtalstrasse 2/B/6
A-8010 Graz, Austria