PEERspectives: Strategic Investments in Europe’s Competitiveness, Resilience and Security


This PEERspectives event will bring together scientists, policy-makers and stakeholders to showcase and reflect on the strategic contribution of environmental research to Europe's key policy priorities.

An aerial view of a rural landscape where a winding river or narrow waterway flows through fields and wooded areas. A road crosses the water via a bridge. The image also shows scattered houses and farm buildings, extensive green farmland, and reed-covered shoreline areas along the water.

Image: Riku Lumiaro

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.

Meet the speakers in this leaflet!

This event is free of charge but registration is mandatory due to the limited number of seats. Please register  with this link.

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, Jan Marco Müller,the first secretary of PEER
  • Celebrating 25 years of being "PEERs", André van Lammeren
     

Networking