PEERspectives event: Strategic Investments in Europe’s Competitiveness, Resilience and Security
Europe is navigating a period of intensifying global competition, geopolitical
uncertainty and growing environmental pressures. Climate change,
biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation and pollution are no longer solely
environmental concerns; they pose systemic risks to economic stability,
supply chains, security and long-term prosperity. Environmental research
and innovation are essential to strengthening Europe’s competitiveness,
resilience, strategic autonomy and preparedness.
We are pleased to invite you to this in-person event, which will be held at
Norway House in Brussels on 10 November 2026, from 15:00 to 18:00 CET.
At this PEERspectives event, we will showcase and reflect on the strategic
contribution of environmental research to Europe’s key policy priorities.
The programme will feature high-level perspectives, practical examples of
research impact and a forward-looking discussion on the future of European
environmental research. It will be followed by a networking reception
celebrating PEER’s 25th anniversary.
This event is free of charge but registration is mandatory due to the limited number of seats. Please register before 2 November with this link (europa.eu).
Programme
Welcome and opening remarks
- Pål Molander, PEER Chair, Chief Executive Officer, The Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA/CIENS)
Environmental research as a foundation for European competitiveness, resilience and security and PEER project cases
- Introduction and chairing the discussion, Katrin Böhning-Gaese, Vice-President, Helmholtz Association, Scientific Director, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)
- Competitiveness in the EU Transition to a Bioeconomy, Berien Elbersen, Senior Researcher Spatial Environmental Assessments, Wageningen Environmental Research (WENR)
- From maps to policy: Lessons learned from the PEER-PRESS project in support of ecosystem resilience, Joachim Maes, Team Leader, Sustainable Freshwater Unit, Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
- Comprehensive security is founded on a good state of the environment, Leif Schulman, Director General, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)
- Comments from Kurt Vandenberghe, Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General Climate Action
Strategic reflections: What’s next for European environmental research?
- Chaired by Maria Sommer Holtze, Director, DCE - Danish Centre for Environment and Energy, Aarhus University
- Comments from James Morrison, Director, European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Directorate ‘Healthy Planet’, and Vadim Kononenko, Foresight and Policy Expert, European Environment Agency (EEA)
Closing remarks
Looking ahead: PEER's role in supporting Europe's future ambitions, Stuart Wainwright, Chief Executive, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH)
PEER’s 25th anniversary reception
- Moderated by André van Lammeren, Managing Director, Environmental Sciences Group (ESG), Wageningen University and Research (WUR)
- Why PEER became PEER by Jan Marco Müller, the first secretary of PEER
- Interview of Alessandra Zampieri, Director – Sustainable Resources, Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Commission
Networking