“ ''The collaborative experience with all the involved partners was very fruitful in terms of guiding me on what was expected from Booster services. That was key to deliver a final report that covered their expectations and needs.'' ”
The interconnected challenges of biodiversity, water, food, health, and climate change, collectively referred to as the "Nexus", demand innovative solutions and coordinated action. This is because biodiversity and healthy ecosystems are vital for regulating the climate and maintaining essential natural cycles that ensure clean water, sustainable food production and pathogen control. EU-funded research under programmes such as Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe has been pivotal in addressing these issues, generating a wealth of impactful knowledge.
However, understanding, categorising and measuring how EU-funded projects have contributed to research in these various fields requires expert support, which is where Booster, formally known as Horizon Results Booster (HRB) proved invaluable.
Booster helps identify how EU projects contribute to the Nexus
Booster is an initiative which includes a set of services designed to maximise the value of EU-funded research by providing free-of-charge, expert-led and tailored support and services . On top of that, Booster can also support the European Commission in providing analyses of results produced by EU-funded projects – as was the case for the biodiversity Nexus study. This study was also supported by the European Research Council (ERC) and the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Here, Booster (under the guise of Horizon Results Booster at the time of the study) provided support in order to:
Streamline project selection by encouraging the use of a structured methodology, thereby facilitating the identification of key projects from a very wide portfolio of options, ensuring the inclusion of the most impactful results.
Help boost knowledge integration by synthesising findings across diverse sectors like water management, sustainable agriculture, climate adaptation, and health. This enabled a holistic understanding of the Nexus and its policy implications.
Support the delivery of targeted outputs by refining the study’s deliverables, including a comprehensive report showcasing scientific innovations, policy impacts, and actionable technical solutions.
These efforts positioned the study to provide critical input to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), an international body dedicated to strengthening the science-policy interface on biodiversity and ecosystem issues. The thematic assessment on the biodiversity Nexus, recently launched by IPBES, aims to provide policymakers with evidence-based insights and recommendations on managing the interconnected challenges of biodiversity, water, food, health, and climate change. By contributing to this global initiative, Booster amplified its role to the shaping of potential high-level and high-impact policies.
Antonia Maria Lorenzo Lopez, one of the experts who worked on the study explained: “The collaboration with ERC and REA staff was very fruitful in terms of guiding me on what was expected from the Booster service. That was key to deliver a final report that covered their expectations and needs.’’ She added that: ‘’By performing this service, I have learnt a lot about the Biodiversity Nexus and how the European Commission contributes to it through its funding programmes. The final report highlighted the relevance of EU funded projects in shaping future policy frameworks”.
The Biodiversity Nexus, explained
Biodiversity is fundamental to life, underpinning climate regulation, clean water, food systems, and human health. Yet, these ecosystems are increasingly at risk due to habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and unsustainable resource use, which threaten their ability to support life and maintain balance across interconnected systems. The Nexus approach emphasises the interdependence of these systems, offering strategies to balance trade-offs (like reconciling reforestation with food production) and to identify synergies that drive transformative change. By adopting this integrated perspective, the study contributes critical insights to halt biodiversity loss while addressing interconnected global challenges.
From research to real-world impact
Booster’s expert-led services ensured that the study delivered the identification of the most relevant research results emanating from EU-funded projects on the various topics that make up the biodiversity Nexus. Aligning research outcomes with strategic goals and showcasing their real-world relevance, meant that Booster could tangibly amplify this service’s impact .
“ Horizon Results Booster services were very helpful. It was useful to understand how exploitation could go beyond direct commercialisation. Through these seminars, I realised that in fact it could be applied to many fields. ”
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“ Horizon Results Booster was very helpful for the support of the project exploitation in this particular phase of consolidation. DENiM received good feedback regarding the current development level, in particular for the Key Exploitable Result characterization and the first business model produced by R2M Solution. At the same time the booster service provides us a helpful tool to investigate missing points. ”
“ HRB's support has been valuable in providing strategic guidance and facilitating initial steps in our journey. While their assistance has primarily focused on strategic input, we appreciate their contributions in shaping our early direction ”