The 2025 edition of the Europe Biobank Week (EBW) conference, organized by BBMRI-ERIC (European Research Infrastructure for Biobanks and Biomolecular Resources in Health and Life Sciences) and ESBB (European, African, and Middle Eastern Society for Biobanking and Biobanking), will take place in Bologna from May 13 to 16 at the Bologna Congress Center. The event, which brings together the entire community of scientists and technologists involved in the development of biobanks, and which this year focuses on the fundamental role played today by computing resources and services for data management and analysis, will also be attended by ICSC – National Research Center in HPC, Big Data, and Quantum Computing.
As the protagonist of the congress opening ceremony, scheduled for May 14, ICSC will sign a collaboration agreement with BBMRI-ERIC within the EOSC Federation, with the aim of strengthening the infrastructure and increasing the capacity of the infrastructure and services dedicated to health data management at the European level.
The 2025 edition of EBW will host sessions dedicated to presenting the latest innovations in the biobanking sector, highlighting their growing importance for human, environmental, and animal health. This year, the conference will welcome over 700 delegates and 45 sponsors, confirming its status as the world’s leading event for the biobanking sector and research infrastructure in general. EBW brings together researchers, biobank staff, institutions, and industries in high-level scientific sessions.
Habermann and Leiminger
Leading the congress organizing committee are Jens K. Habermann, Director General of BBMRI-ERIC, and Roland Leiminger, President of ESBB.
“The EBW is a unique place for our entire community involved in the development of biobanks, a place where we can build, maintain, and intensify collaborations with academic and industrial partners, citizens, and politicians, learning about the latest developments and discussing future directions. I look forward to participating in the presentation of the many topics at the heart of the workshops, sessions, and debates on the program, and not least, to the extensive networking opportunities,” comments Habermann.
“I am delighted to welcome all participants to EBW25, the leading event for the international biobanking community. I look forward to spending time with colleagues who are passionate about science, knowledge, and inspiration, and who are driving the development of this fascinating field. The future of biobanks is in our hands—let’s be the architects of that future!” emphasizes Leiminger.
Lavitrano
This year, the event is hosted by BBMRI Italia, with Marialuisa Lavitrano, director of BBMRI Italia and professor at Milano Bicocca University, leading the local organizing committee, supported by the Italian biobanking community.
“We are honored to welcome the global biobanking community to Italy. This congress represents an unparalleled platform for connecting and growing collaboration between biobanks, healthcare professionals, academic experts, and industry leaders,” explains Lavitrano.
Main topics
High-performance data analysis and the storage of sensitive health data will be among the main topics addressed during the conference. Antonio Zoccoli, President of ICSC – National Research Center for High-Performance Computing, Big Data, and Quantum Computing, will participate in the opening ceremony, during which an agreement between BBMRI and ICSC will be signed.
BBMRI-ERIC and ICSC
BBMRI-ERIC and ICSC are two of the founding nodes of the EOSC Federation. Currently in the process of being established, the Federation will aim to connect data centers and data analysis services in order to promote the advancement of Open Science in Europe. The launch of the first collaboration between nodes is therefore of significant importance within the EOSC Federation.
“We are delighted to welcome ICSC to EBW25. The cooperation between ICSC and BBMRI will enable the widest possible access to scientific communities and the exchange of knowledge and experience. Better data management and sharing with ICSC and BBMRI users will also provide the ability to create secure and reliable data processing environments for sensitive health data. The result will enable new collaborative approaches on a larger scale,” explains Habermann.
Zoccoli
“It is a real pleasure to take part in this prestigious conference, which brings together the entire scientific community grappling with the crucial challenge of harnessing the potential of the vast amount of biological and medical data now available for the study and treatment of diseases. This is an area in which the ICSC National Center has already begun to make important contributions, demonstrating the value and foresight of the choices made by the Italian Ministry of University and Research as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). We are therefore confident that the cooperation agreement to be signed by ICSC and BBMRI—which embraces and extends the principles of sharing and collaboration underlying the EOSC project—will translate into greater capacity for health data management and the development of innovative tools for their analysis at the European level, while always respecting privacy and EU regulations,” adds Zoccoli.
Here is the full press release
To view the EBW 2025 program: https://www.europebiobankweek.eu/full-programme/
