Commission launches new European partnership to strengthen pandemic research and preparedness

On Tuesday, the European Commission launched BE READY, a new European partnership for pandemic preparedness. BE READY will strengthen the EU’s capacity to anticipate, prevent and respond rapidly to epidemics and pandemics. Benefitting from €120 million in EU funding, the partnership will launch annual joint transnational calls that will foster collaboration across Europe and beyond with the aim of increasing knowledge and strengthening readiness for emerging health threats.

Bringing together 81 organisations from 27 countries, BE READY is coordinated by the French ANRS-Infectious Emerging Diseases-MIE. It culminates many years of European research investment in pandemic preparedness and response through the European research and innovation framework programme (Horizon Europe), which has invested to this end over €1.8 billion since 2020.

The first joint transnational call will be launched with 21 funding organisations and will focus on research aiming for a better understanding of the pandemic potential of emerging pathogens and developing innovative medical countermeasures.

Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, said: “Europe’s pandemic preparedness must be built on sound scientific foundations. That is why we are making €120 million from the Horizon Europe budget available for the BE READY partnership. Through BE READY, we are putting our citizens’ health first while reinforcing Europe’s innovation leadership.”

Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, said: “BE READY is Europe’s next bold step forward, turning research into real resilience. It puts research at the heart of preparedness, so people can get medicines, vaccines and vital tools faster when a crisis hits. We are working across borders and institutions to build a stronger Europe, ready to anticipate health threats and respond quickly when lives are at stake.”

Source: European Commission