On October 29th, 2019, the European Commission has officially established Euro-BioImaging as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC¹) for state-of-the-art imaging services in biological and biomedical research, allowing the foundation of the Euro-BioImaging ERIC and the implementation of a full range of imaging services to life scientists across Europe.

With its ERIC status, Euro-BioImaging is now legally recognised as a European research infrastructure² for biological and biomedical imaging. Euro-BioImaging offers life scientists open access to imaging instruments, expertise, training opportunities, and data management services that they do not find at their home institutions or among their collaboration partners. All scientists, regardless of affiliation, area of expertise, or field of activity, can benefit from these pan-European open access services. Euro-BioImaging will ensure excellent research and development across the life sciences in Europe. All Euro-BioImaging services are accessible via www.eurobioimaging.eu. Establishment of the Euro-BioImaging ERIC builds on over 10 years of preparatory work with active engagement of 25 national imaging communities, funded by the European Commission and coordinated by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). 

Finland will host the Statutory Seat, the access gateway, and manage the overall coordination of Euro-BioImaging, while EMBL will coordinate access to biological imaging, and Italy will coordinate access to biomedical imaging. EMBL will also coordinate Euro-BioImaging’s data services via the BioImage Archive to store and share imaging data.

Euro-BioImaging offers state-of-the-art imaging services through its internationally renowned facilities, called Nodes. These Nodes are distributed across Euro-BioImaging’s 15 founding members: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, EMBL, Finland, France, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Norway, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, and the UK. Belgium will participate as an observer.

FRANCE BIOIMAGING IS PART OF THE GAME

France officially became a founding member of the Euro-Bioimaging research infrastructure in March 2019. As an active collaborator in the development of the future infrastructure since its inception (2009) and during the preparatory phases of the Euro BioImaging ESFRI project (2010 – 2018) and as a previous “Node Candidate” of the project since 2013, France BioImaging represents today the only French Node and the single entry point in Biological Imaging in this new European research infrastructure. FBI core facilities will be participating directly in the activities carried out by the EuBI ERIC, opening their premises to EuBI users for access  (https://www.eurobioimaging.eu/nodes/french-bioimaging-node) and training activities (https://www.eurobioimaging.eu/content/training).

Also, the involvement of France BioImaging, and therefore of the French biological imaging community, at the European level directly contributes to promote the French expertise in biological imaging and strengthens the role of France as an essential partner for future initiatives/projects in Europe.