SYMBIOSIS

Europe's Rail Joint Undertaking

SYstemic Mobilisation for Joint Biodiversity and Infrastructure

SYMBIOSIS project — biodiversity and railway infrastructure

About

SYMBIOSIS is a pioneering interdisciplinary initiative aimed at integrating biodiversity throughout the lifecycle of railway infrastructure projects, fostering a collaborative and holistic approach to create sustainable and resilient infrastructure, whilst contributing to a unified European biodiversity baseline.

Overview

Coordinated by UIC and co-funded by Europe's Rail Joint Undertaking, the project brings together 21 partners from 13 European countries to mainstream biodiversity in transport and energy infrastructure development.

Facts & Figures

Project Acronym
SYMBIOSIS
Project title
SYstemic Mobilisation for Joint Biodiversity and Infrastructure
Project coordinator
UIC
Project budget
2.8 M €
Duration
36 months
Project start date
01/09/2024
Project end date
31/08/2027
Countries
13
Members
21
Grant agreement ID
101177281

Project Objectives

Strategic objectives

  • Underline Key Enablers — set out the enabling environment to mainstream biodiversity in infrastructure development and decision making, focusing on transport policies, EIA procedures, CSRD and financing and procurement processes
  • Deliver Practical Tools — develop sustainable land management tools that enrich biodiversity while making infrastructure more resilient, cost-effective, reliable, safe and carbon negative
  • Convene communities of practice — establish an inclusive framework to harmonise and standardise collection, curation, analysis and integration of high-quality biodiversity data across European railways

Expected impact

  • Accelerated mainstreaming of biodiversity consideration in European transport infrastructure policy and practice
  • Operational toolkits and nature-based solutions adopted by rail operators and infrastructure managers
  • Standardised biodiversity monitoring frameworks applicable beyond railways to broader transport and energy networks

Communication & Dissemination

Resources

Brochure Symbiosis-boards
Deep Dive: WP5 Session
SYMBIOSIS Plenary 202606
SYMBIOSIS STAKEHOLDER EVENT 25 SEPTEMBER 2025

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board provides strategic guidance and expert insights to enhance the SYMBIOSIS project by facilitating knowledge exchange among stakeholders in transport infrastructure, energy networks, environmental agencies, NGOs, researchers, and the private sector.

  • Expert Consultation — provide recommendations on transport and energy sectors
  • Knowledge Sharing — foster exchanges with expert communities through dedicated networks
  • Framework Development — contribute to developing project frameworks aligned with sector standards
  • Stakeholder Engagement — connect the project with relevant stakeholders for broader collaboration
  • Capacity Building — share knowledge and resources to support SYMBIOSIS
  • Monitoring — assist in assessing the project's impact on transport and energy sectors
Biodiversity and sustainable infrastructure

Stakeholders

21 partners across 13 European countries — click a marker to learn more.

Consortium

SYMBIOSIS brings together 21 partners from 13 European countries, coordinated by UIC, to integrate biodiversity throughout the lifecycle of railway infrastructure projects.

Events

Videos

Deliverables

  • D1.1Project Management and Quality Assurance Plan
  • D1.2Data Management Plan
  • D1.3Data Management Report(upcoming)
  • D2.1Communication, dissemination & Exploitation plan
  • D2.2Knowledge Transfer and Capacity Building Strategy(upcoming)
  • D2.3Stakeholder analysis and recommendations(upcoming)
  • D2.4Communication, dissemination & exploitation report(upcoming)
  • D2.5Report on the R&I strategic recommendations(upcoming)
  • D2.6Knowledge & Learning Hub(upcoming)
  • D3.1Impact Assessment Tools for Linear Infrastructures(upcoming)
  • D3.2Harmonised methodology to prioritise NbS for Climate-Resilient Infrastructure(upcoming)
  • D3.3Decision support Guidelines to reinforce Blue and Green Infrastructure on transport and energy infrastructure(upcoming)
  • D3.4Biodiversity-CO2 calculator for the railway sector. Methodology, case studies and its evaluation.(upcoming)
  • D4.1Report on ‘Transformative Insights and Strategies for Biodiversity Monitoring in European Railway’(upcoming)
  • D4.2Advancements in Automated Biodiversity Monitoring for European Railways(upcoming)
  • D4.3Assessment of the benefits and challenges to integrating real-time biodiversity data into rail infrastructure GIS and BIM alongside data on economic performance and carbon emissions(upcoming)
  • D4.4Recommendations for new approaches for standardised biodiversity monitoring.(upcoming)
  • D5.1Analysis report on assessing societal priorities on sustainable transport development.(upcoming)
  • D5.2Recommendations for enhancing cross-cutting biodiversity and climate policies on railway infrastructure.(upcoming)
  • D5.3Recommendations on environmental impact assessment of the cumulative effects of pairing infrastructure development.(upcoming)
  • D5.4Recommendations for mainstreaming biodiversity within the procurement process, as well as for improving the disclosure regarding biodiversity in the supply chain in compliance with the new standards(upcoming)

Contact