EMBL takes over EIROforum rotating presidency
EMBL’s year-long presidency of the European Intergovernmental Research Organisation forum begins on 1 July 2025
EMBL’s Interim Director General Professor Peer Bork and Interim Executive Director Professor Ewan Birney have jointly assumed the position of EIROforum Chair. They succeed Professor Xavier Barcons, Director General of the European Southern Observatory (ESO).
The EIROforum brings together eight of Europe’s largest research organisations, which together have extensive expertise in the areas of basic research and managing large, international infrastructures, facilities, and research programmes. Its mission is to combine the resources, facilities, and expertise of its member organisations to support European science in reaching its full potential. The EIROforum presidency rotates annually between member organisations, which include CERN, ESA, EMBL, ESO, ESRF, EUROfusion, European XFEL, and ILL.
“We are honoured to take over the presidency of EIROforum and its joint activities. Together, the eight EIROforum organisations signal the importance and relevance of international, cross-disciplinary collaboration, enable the exchange of best practice on multiple different levels, and give voice to research infrastructures across Europe,” Bork said.
“We highly value the collaborative work together with our partner organisations, which is more important for European and global science than ever before,” Birney added. “We look forward to steering fruitful discussions and actions that reaffirm the importance of EIROforum as a critical asset for European discovery-driven research, innovation, and competitiveness.”
