The University of Aveiro recently hosted a prominent conference in the European biodiversity landscape, organized by CESAM to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ALTERNET network. This high-level scientific event, held in May 2025, brought together researchers, policymakers, and partner institutions to reflect on two decades of European cooperation in biodiversity and to discuss emerging challenges at the science-policy interface.
Established in 2004 as a European-funded network of excellence, ALTERNET has grown into a pan-European platform of scientific institutions responding to major questions concerning biodiversity and ecosystem services.“Alternet was born thanks to Europe, which funded us for five years starting in 2004. We began with 20 to 25 institutes and now have 32 members. Today, we have more than 9,000 researchers linked to the network,” said Maurice Hoffmann, a member of the ALTERNET board, emphasizing that the network’s pan-European character and high specialization are its greatest strengths.
The conference in Aveiro reinforced CESAM’s role in integrating marine perspectives into biodiversity debates.“Until CESAM became a member, we didn’t have much focus on the marine environment. We were very focused on terrestrial and freshwater environments. Since CESAM joined, we’ve gained that new perspective,” Hoffmann added.
Over the three days of the event, participants explored topics related to the One Health concept, focusing on the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health. Amadeu Soares, Director of CESAM, highlighted that “The One Health concept is fully aligned with CESAM, which fits very well with the conference’s main theme. In fact, at CESAM we address biodiversity issues in ways that impact both nature itself and the human population.”
Soares further emphasized: “This is our core mission: to conduct excellent science with impact on public policy and to contribute to sustainable transformations, preserving and using our biodiversity for the health of the planet and, in truth, for human health, in the spirit of the One Health concept.”
Jiska van Dijk, Chair of the ALTERNET Network Council, praised institutional collaboration as a pillar of the network. “Looking at 20 years of ALTERNET, I think the greatest achievement has been collaboration — finding each other, developing new projects, and strengthening the science-policy interface,” she said, envisioning the future of the network as a “network of networks”, continuing to expand partnerships and interdisciplinary synergies.
The conference in Aveiro not only celebrated the past and the milestones achieved, but also looked ahead to the next 20 years of ALTERNET and biodiversity science in Europe. The discussions and exchanges underscored the importance of aligning transformative research with the needs of society and public policy development, strengthening the network’s mission: science with impact.