The International Conference on Research Infrastructures (ICRI) 2024 served as a key event for the global research infrastructure (RI) community to discuss the role of RIs in tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges. This year’s conference, held in Brisbane, was especially significant in framing climate change and sustainability as central themes in the global research agenda. Throughout the conference, the ENVRI community played a vital role in shaping the discourse, presenting new insights, and reinforcing the value of environmental RIs in addressing climate risks and advancing global sustainability.
ENVRI Community Activities at ICRI 2024
The IRISCC project side event at ICRI 2024 focused on climate risks, showcasing how environmental RIs are directly contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation. IRISCC highlighted the importance of international collaboration among RIs, with the aim of building resilience through data sharing and integrated climate services. The event provided a platform for discussions on the role of RIs in addressing climate risks, emphasising their impact on global policymaking and environmental strategies. The side event featured talks from ICOS (Werner Kutsch), eLTER (Michael Mirtl), and IRISCC (Janne Rinne).
Another major highlights were the ENVRI-Hub NEXT, iMagine and PHENET presentations, which took place during a side event organised by EGI showcasing digital tools and collaborative solutions for RIs. Presented by Eija Juurola (ACTRIS ERIC), the session demonstrated how ENVRI-Hub NEXT is advancing interoperability among environmental data and services. The session also showcased the solutions developed in the iMagine project. Presented by Ingrid Puillat (EMSO ERIC), the talk explained how RIs cn utilised AI for high-performance image analysis. Finally, Stijn Dhondt (EMPHASIS) presented the PHENET project and outlined the real-world challenges and opportunities in managing and analysing large phenotyping datasets.
Main Conference Programme: ENVRI Community Representation
In addition to the side events, the ENVRI community was well-represented in the main ICRI 2024 programme. Several leading environmental RIs contributed to the discussions on the role of RIs in global science and climate action:
- ICOS (Werner Kutsch) offered his perspective on How research infrastructure will address climate challenges over the next 30 years
- Euro-Argo (Yann-Hervé De Roeck) and ICOS (Emmanuel Salmon) discussed the importance of Improving critical ocean and Earth observations
- ACTRIS (Eija Juurola) showcased ACTRIS approach to Research infrastructure business models that enable translation
- INTERACT (Niklas Labba) focused on Developing research infrastructure partnerships with local and Indigenous communities
- EMPHASIS (Stijn Dhondt) emphasised How research infrastructure is supporting sustainable agriculture, nutrition and development
These presentations underscored the critical role of environmental RIs in providing the data, tools, and collaborations necessary for advancing climate science and sustainability efforts worldwide.
GERI: the Global Collaboration of ecosystem RIs
One of the side events at ICRI 2024 focused on the Global Ecosystem Research Infrastructure (GERI), a partnership of site-based research infrastructures dedicated to understanding the function and dynamics of indicator ecosystems across global biomes. The European partners, eLTER and ICOS, collaborate with international counterparts including TERN(Australia), SAEON (South Africa), CERN (China), and NEON (USA).
The session provided an overview of recent GERI activities, including a comprehensive landscape analysis of research infrastructures and use case studies—such as investigations into ecological drought—leveraging data shared across partner RIs. Discussions also addressed the critical need for concerted funding mechanisms across continents, engaging representatives from potential funding bodies to explore pathways for sustainable and collaborative support of GERI’s mission.
The Brisbane Statement: A Call for Climate Action
The Brisbane Statement, which emerged from ICRI 2024, served as a key outcome of the conference. This statement placed climate change at the forefront of global research priorities and called for stronger international cooperation to address the climate crisis. It highlighted the pivotal role of Research Infrastructures (RIs) in driving climate action, promoting a green transition, and fostering sustainable development through innovation in research.
The Brisbane Statement urged stakeholders to continue strengthening international RI collaborations, ensuring that RIs remain central to global efforts in combating climate change. It also emphasised the need for RIs to contribute to policy development, technological advancements, and the integration of diverse data and perspectives in tackling the interconnected challenges of climate change, health, food security, and sustainable energy.
Conclusion
ICRI 2024 reaffirmed the ENVRI community’s role in driving the global climate action. By highlighting the crucial role of RIs in supporting a green transition and addressing the urgent challenges of our time, the conference underscored the importance of continued collaboration, digital innovation, and interdisciplinary efforts to ensure a sustainable and resilient future for all.
