On 4 and 5 September 2024, the “SYstemic Mobilisation for Joint Biodiversity and Infrastructure” (SYMBIOSIS) project, coordinated by the UIC Sustainability Department and co-funded by the European Union, was officially launched with a successful two-day kick-off event being held in Paris in a hybrid format. 21 partners from 13 European countries came together to address the complex challenges of integrating biodiversity with transport and energy infrastructure development.

Day 1: Setting the stage for European biodiversity and transport infrastructure synergies

The first day introduced the project’s strategic vision, focusing on three key areas:

• European harmonised habitat management: The discussion centred on the need for coordinated biodiversity management strategies within linear transport and energy infrastructure, addressing policy gaps and fostering cross-sector collaboration.
• Project overview and objectives: The project’s work packages were introduced, outlining how SYMBIOSIS will tackle both technical and policy challenges across the transport, energy, and biodiversity sectors.
• Knowledge sharing and capacity building: Emphasis was placed on the importance of cooperation between stakeholders to bridge biodiversity knowledge gaps and align with EU-wide sustainability goals.

An engaging panel, moderated by UIC Head of Sustainability Lucie Anderton, featured high-level participants including Joseph Price, UN Environment Programme (UNEP); Elke Hahn, Infrastructure Ecology Network Europe (IENE); Eva Valeri, European Agency for Railways (ERA); Adel El Gammal, European Energy Research Alliance (EERA); and Hildegard Meyer, World Wildlife Fund - Central and Eastern Europe (WWF-CEE), who highlighted the project’s importance in Europe and explored strategies for enhancing the project’s global reach and impact.

Day 2: Launching the work packages and planning for success

The second day of the meeting focused on detailed planning for the project’s milestones and deliverables. 30 participants took part in collaborative “World Café” activities to plan strategies for effective communication, the coordination of each task, and inclusivity in the project’s execution.

With a strong focus on stakeholder engagement, SYMBIOSIS aims to drive long-term cooperation and create practical tools that will enhance biodiversity management in the development of transport and energy sectors.

SYMBIOSIS marks another important step toward sustainable infrastructure development in Europe, aligning with the European Green Deal and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. By building on previous rail or transport-related projects such as UIC’s REVERSE and the EU BISON project, SYMBIOSIS will contribute to a unified European biodiversity baseline and foster nature-based solutions for infrastructure projects.

UIC Sustainability is proud to lead this innovative project with Pinar Yilmazer as the SYMBIOSIS project coordinator and Lorenzo Franzoni as the UIC project manager. The consortium is committed to promoting sustainable land management, creating resilient, biodiversity-rich infrastructure across Europe, and enhancing biodiversity policies.

Grant Agreement No 101177281. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EU-RAIL. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.