BBMRI-ERIC LAUNCHES 10-YEAR ROADMAP
Biobanking for a healthier world

On 15 October 2024 in Brussels, BBMRI-ERIC launched its visionary 10-Year Roadmap, which adopts the “One Health” approach to prioritise the interconnection between human, animal and environmental health.
The launch event unveiled the uniquely co-created Roadmap to key stakeholders, emphasising its role in advancing biobanking for European and global health improvements. It provides a blueprint for the research infrastructure, the biobanking and bimolecular community and wider partners, which places biobanking at the heart of scientific research to achieve a healthier world.
“It was developed over the last year as part of an intensive community interaction and consultation process with our Member States, National Nodes and Biobanks, Stakeholder Forum Patient and Citizens Pillar, our external Scientific and Ethical Advisory Board and other key stakeholders.
“This crisp new Vision, revised Mission and eight strategic objectives enable a close alignment of national programmes with the European activities of BBMRI-ERIC and hence foster synergies and intensified community engagement at an unprecedented new level.”
Prof. Jens K. Habermann, BBMRI-ERIC Director General
“I am pleased to help launch BBMRI’s 10-year Roadmap, not least since it has been developed in the most collaborative of ways, to serve research across various domains to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases.”
Signe Ratso, Deputy Director General for Innovation, Prosperity and International Cooperation at DG RTD
“BBMRI-ERIC has gone beyond its normal operations and has started this visionary strategy process. And I'm confident that there will be great outcomes on the way of implementation. Thank you for all invaluable contributions and for being part of this important effort. And I look forward to accompanying you in the implementation of the Roadmap in the years to come.”
Dr. Hemma Bauer, Head of Unit, Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, Austria (BBMRI-ERIC Hosting Country) delivered the closing remarks.
“As we stand at the threshold of a rapidly evolving global landscape, scientific research faces unprecedented challenges that will shape the future of humanity and our planet. While scientific inquiry has always been a powerful tool for advancing knowledge and driving innovation, the coming decades will demand an even more robust and coordinated global response to a variety of pressing issues: climate change and environmental sustainability, pandemics and global health, technological and ethical frontiers, resource scarcity and food security, equitable access to knowledge and innovation.
“As we confront these and other challenges, it is imperative that scientists, policymakers, and the global community work together to build a future where research and innovation can thrive.”
Prof. Walter Ricciardi, Chair of the BBMRI-ERIC Scientific and Ethical Advisory Board
“When I look at BBMRI, I’m reminded of what Antoine de Saint Exupéry wrote in his book ‘Terre des hommes’: ‘To be human is to accept responsibility…it is to be proud of a victory that comrades have won. It is to feel, by laying one’s stone, that one is contributing to building the world’.
“We are among those who, in one way or another, contribute to the ongoing implementation of BBMRI. Spread the word to those who will continue to make BBMRI a success: patients, doctors, biobanks, DG R&I managers, national biobanks, National Node directors, BBMRI national delegates and the BBMRI central team.”
Philippe Desmeth, Chair of BBMRI-ERIC Assembly of Members
Introduction to BBMRI-ERIC

BBMRI-ERIC is the European research infrastructure for biobanking and biomolecular resources in Health and Life Sciences, fully operational since 2013 when it was granted ERIC status by the European Commission. It supports responsible access to high-quality samples, data, and biomolecular resources, fostering innovation through multidisciplinary expertise, scientific excellence and partnerships.
BBMRI-ERIC’s core services cover Ethical, Legal and Societal Implications, Finance and Project Management, Quality Management, Information Technology, and Biobanking Development, Public Affairs and Outreach, Education and Communications. With 22 Member States and 4 Observer countries, about 500 biobanks, and its headquarters in Graz, Austria, BBMRI-ERIC's network spans healthcare, population-based biobanks and human biomonitoring and other biobank types addressing biodiversity.
The BBMRI-ERIC community also plays a significant role in European projects, contributing to European key initiatives such as the European Health Data Space (EHDS), the Cancer Mission and European Beating Cancer Plan, European Partnerships on Personalized Medicine, Rare Diseases, and Brain Health, as well as pandemic preparedness, the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) and Public-Private-Partnerships; using BBMRI-ERIC’s federated access and analysis platform as a reference point for EU research priorities.
A case for urgency

Today's global challenges are numerous and complex. They provide the context and vision that require the 10-Year Roadmap.
- Geopolitical (e.g., political instability, the war in Ukraine)
- Economic (e.g., stagnating economies)
- Technological (e.g., advancements in personalised healthcare, genomics, and the rapid growth of AI)
- Environmental (e.g., the climate crisis, biodiversity loss)
In addition to the global challenges, we also face health specific ones, such as rising healthcare costs, the digitalisation of health services, and the implementation of EU legislation, including the European Health Data Space (EHDS).
Research infrastructures themselves also encounter unique challenges, such as optimising impact, better utilisation of Member State and EU resources, leveraging AI and addressing the increasing "datafication" of processes.
Developing this 10-Year Roadmap required careful consideration of these challenges—and the opportunities they present—within the evolving environment in which BBMRI-ERIC operates. It became clear that optimising the impact of BBMRI-ERIC would require a renewed strategic approach with a long-term perspective.
Listen to "Setting the Scene: Global Challenges we Face", by Prof. Walter Ricciardi.
Striving towards "One Health"

The health-related challenges we face are significant. A substantial unfinished agenda in global health remains to be addressed to achieve the universal health targets outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including their health targets, are highly ambitious. However, with only five years left for implementation, countries have collectively realised only about 25% of their health-related commitments. This underscores the need for renewed momentum at both the European and global levels to address these pressing challenges.
The United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) have recently reaffirmed the importance of implementing a “One Health” approach.
For BBMRI-ERIC, a research infrastructure dedicated to improving health outcomes, adopting this collaborative “One Health” approach is crucial for addressing the complex, interconnected challenges affecting human, animal, and environmental health (see Figure 1). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “One Health” is defined as “an integrated, unifying approach to balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems.”
Developing a 10-year roadmap

Aligning with global objectives: a fresh pathway
This 10-Year Roadmap provides a path based on strategic objectives and operational goals, ensuring that the ambition is achievable by our research infrastructure (Headquarters, National Nodes, biobanks, and Assembly of Members). It has been developed through an iterative process, incorporating input from the entirety of BBMRI-ERIC and is closely linked to European initiatives and Framework Programmes. Previous draft versions were refined during the MC/AoM workshop in Milan in October 2023 and the MC/AoM workshop in Vienna in January 2024. Key aspects of the Roadmap were also shared with the European Commission, Member State ministries and representatives of industry and partner research infrastructures during BBMRI-ERIC’s 10th anniversary event in Brussels at the end of February 2024.
Responding to these challenges through cooperative collaboration
Based on these discussions, a revised draft was prepared and further refined by inviting the Headquarters team, representatives of MC/AoM, the BBMRI-ERIC Stakeholder Forum—particularly the Stakeholder Forum Patients and Citizens’ Pillar—and the SEAB to provide their input throughout spring 2024. Through this iterative and transparent approach, we have produced a 10-Year Roadmap that we hope will inspire and empower the European biobanking community to realise its full potential towards “One Health.”
Building on established success
This Roadmap builds on the success of BBMRI-ERIC’s core domains developed during its first decade of existence. All of these remain fundamental to the further evolution of our infrastructure over the next 10 years: the Scientific Affairs for Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources (Biobanking Development; Ethical, Legal and Societal Issues; Information Technology; Quality Management) and Central Services and Functions (Public Affairs; Outreach, Education and Communications; Finance and Project Management; Central Office). We aim to strengthen the core activities of biobanking, such as the collection, processing, storage, and sharing of samples/biological materials and data in a quality-assured and FAIR manner, through the implementation of the 10-Year Roadmap.
Listen to "Biobanking for a Healthier World: Introducing BBMRI-ERIC’s 10 Year Roadmap", by Prof. Jens K. Habermann.
BBMRI-ERIC's new Vision and Mission
Core to the Roadmap is a new Vision which states:
“By unlocking the potential of biobanking and biomolecular resources, BBMRI-ERIC inspires the best research to benefit patients, the public and the planet.” This is simplified as: “Biobanking for a Healthier World”.
The 10-year roadmap Mission is:
“BBMRI-ERIC enables the development of innovative technology and processes as a cross-domain network that facilitates responsible access to high quality samples, data and biomolecular resources.
This is accomplished through multidisciplinary expertise, service provision, scientific excellence, promotion of knowledge exchange and partnerships within the health and life sciences.”

Strategic Objectives
In the first three years of the Roadmap, HQ departments, National Nodes, Member States and Biobanks will collaborate towards the following strategic objectives and operative goals:

SO1 - Optimise the interconnection of human, animal, and environmental health research. BBMRI-ERIC will focus on optimising the interconnection of human, animal and environmental health research by exploring opportunities based on the One Health paradigm.
SO2 - Accelerate datafication to enable trustworthy, fit-for-purpose data for high-quality research. Accelerating datafication by applying FAIR-Health principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable, quality-defined, with incentives for data sharing and reuse, including ELSI aspects) will enable reproducible advancements in science.
SO3 - Foster green biobanking and Research Infrastructure operations. By investigating and promoting the most sustainable and energy-efficient setup, BBMRI-ERIC will support a low carbon future for biobanks and research infrastructure operations (National Nodes and Headquarters).
SO4 - Secure infrastructural scalability, sustainability and service excellence. BBMRI-ERIC recognises the constraints faced by Member States in today's political and economic climate and we will therefore investigate additional avenues for generating sustainable income.
SO5 - Strengthen the National Node and biobank community within Member States. The long-term sustainability of BBMRI-ERIC depends upon the expertise of the local and national community. Active engagement and shared responsibilities across the RI will strengthen collaboration with the network, including national policymakers, delegates, National Nodes, and biobanks.
SO6 - Educate, train & build capacity. BBMRI-ERIC will shape education and capacity building by developing agile and future-oriented models for collaborative training and research for different target groups (e.g., researchers, data managers, project managers, biobank technicians).
SO7 - Strengthen stakeholder engagement and awareness. Increasing multisectoral engagement with stakeholders – including Member States, National Nodes, patients and the public, policymakers, industry and academia – is crucial to further develop and strengthen BBMRI-ERIC to generate further socio-economic impact and awareness among wider communities.
SO8 - Advance a global biobanking community. BBMRI-ERIC has the potential to play an impactful leadership role to strengthen the global biobanking community and standards, as well as advance the biobanking field in Europe and beyond. This is important as global challenges need to be dealt with at global level.
The BBMRI-ERIC 10-Year Roadmap has been developed as part of an intensive community engagement and consultation process with our Member States, National Nodes and Biobanks, Stakeholder Forum Patient and Citizens' Pillar, our Scientific and Ethical Advisory Board and other key stakeholders.
Dive into the Roadmap.
