SYstemic Mobilisation for Joint Biodiversity and Infrastructure (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.
SYMBIOSIS brings together 21 members across 13 countries, with the International Union of Railways (UIC) acting as the project coordinator. Supported by Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking and its members, and funded by the European Union, the initiative strives to enhance the role of biodiversity in railway infrastructure, ensuring its integration into planning, design, and operation processes.
Key objectives of SYMBIOSIS
There are three strategic objectives that are central to the project proposal:
- Underline Key Enablers – Set out the key enabling environment that will mainstream and accelerate action for biodiversity consideration in infrastructure development and decision making, focusing on transport policies, the Environmental Impact Assessment procedures, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and financing and procurement processes.
- Deliver Practical Tools – To develop a comprehensive set of sustainable land management tools that will aim to enrich biodiversity while making infrastructure more resilient, cost-effective, reliable, safe and carbon negative.
- Convene communities of practice – To convene rail operators and key entities responsible for biodiversity monitoring throughout Europe to establish an inclusive framework applicable to transport infrastructure beyond railways and the broader landscape, to harmonise and standardise the collection, curation, analysis reporting and integration of high-quality and high-reliability biodiversity data.
ICSI leads on Knowledge Transfer and Capacity Building
ICSI’s contribution focuses on knowledge transfer, capacity building, and the creation of a Knowledge & Learning Hub. ICSI will engage closely with key stakeholders to develop a strategy for knowledge transfer and training, identify recipients and trainers, and implement a learning needs assessment.
Additionally, ICSI will design and deliver two capacity-building activities, while also creating a hub that provides European transport infrastructure practitioners with access to curated resources, tools, and international best practices.
