Challenge

The unpredictability and speed of the transboundary spread of (re)emerging epizootic and zoonotic diseases necessitates transnational cooperation between academic institutes, industries, international One Health organizations and policy makers, in order to tackle the present and future animal and public health threats. In response to this imperative, VetBioNet has been established as a multidisciplinary network that seeks to drive the European Research & Development agenda related to emerging epizootic and zoonotic diseases.

VetBioNet gathers 28 academic and industrial partners from 12 countries across Europe, Africa, and Oceania. The project’s principal objectives are to reinforce the cooperation between Europe’s leading high-containment research infrastructures, to provide access to the high-end research facilities of the network, and to further improve the technical standard of the services provided.

VetBioNet is funded by the European Commission (EC) Horizon 2020 INFRAIA program allocating 10 Mio € for a project duration of 5 years (2017-21). This EC funding instrument specifically supports advanced infrastructure communities. The VetBioNet network has attained an advanced degree of cooperation through the implementation of the previous infrastructure project NADIR (Network for Animal Diseases and Infectiology Research, 2009-2013) which has already assembled 12 of the present consortium members.