The Horizon Scanning and Research Prioritisation community is a shared space of the Science Service for Biodiversity which brings together the organisations, networks, funders, policymakers, researchers and knowledge holders working to identify and respond to biodiversity knowledge needs in Europe. The community addresses the challenge of a fragmented biodiversity research prioritisation landscape by making parallel actors and initiatives more visible and by creating opportunities to build on each other’s work. The site collects horizon scanning, foresight and research prioritisation exercises, priority knowledge gaps, methods, events and lessons learned in one accessible place, helping to ensure that research investment is directed towards the knowledge most needed to meet Europe’s biodiversity goals and support action for nature.
Background research by BioAgora found that prioritisation exercises can lack openness, have limited participation, focus too narrowly on the natural sciences, use unclear ranking criteria, and overlook political dynamics, capacity constraints and cognitive biases. This site responds to these challenges by making guidance material, data and methods available in a more standardised format and by providing a space where any relevant actor can share resources. It thus supports more transparent, inclusive and effective research prioritisation, helping actors learn from one another and design better processes that include diverse disciplines, social perspectives and policy needs.