July 7 – July 10
LifeWatch ERIC Biodiversity and Ecosystem eScience Conference (BEeS) is back!
This summer, we are pleased to invite you to Plovdiv, Bulgaria, for a four-day event, from 7 to 10 July. BEeS is LifeWatch ERIC’s flagship forum for eScience in biodiversity and ecosystem research, emphasising interoperable data, reproducible workflows, and reusable digital services.
LifeWatch Bulgaria hosts the 2026 edition of the conference at the Agricultural University-Plovdiv. Bulgaria joined LifeWatch ERIC in 2022 as one of its eight Distributed Centres. The event also showcases how LifeWatch ERIC services and communities support collaboration across the infrastructure.
BEeS 2026 will bring together scientists, experts, and innovators to explore challenges and emerging opportunities in biodiversity and ecosystem science. Through a series of high-level plenary sessions, the conference will address critical topics including biodiversity conservation and species extinction, ecosystem responses to climate change, the role of agroecology in sustainable systems, and the latest frontiers in eScience technologies.
The programme is complemented by thematic sessions aligned with LifeWatch ERIC Thematic Service Working Groups, focusing on practical methods, workflows, and service-enabled science.
This event promotes dialogue across disciplines and highlights the importance of integrating ecological knowledge, technological innovation, and policy frameworks, acting as a platform to explore collaborative solutions for understanding, protecting, and managing biodiversity. A key aim is to accelerate uptake of decision-relevant evidence products that are transparent, traceable, and comparable across regions.
Prelimity Programme
Day 1
14:30 – 15:30
Registration
15:30 – 16:15
Pre-conference demo/hands-on session
16:15 – 17:15
Pre-conference workshop/training session
17:15 – 18:30
Welcome Drinks
Day 2
08:00 – 09:00
Registration and drop off of presentations
09:00 – 11:00
Contributed session
11:00 – 11:30
Coffee break
11:30 – 11:45
Opening and institutional welcome
11:45 – 12:45
Plenary – Biodiversity conservation: preventing flora and fauna from extinction – Prof. Tatyana Bileva (Agricultural University-Plovdiv), Prof. Dessislava Dimitrova (Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research)
12:45 – 13:30
LifeWatch ERIC Masterclass
13:30 – 14:30
Lunch break
14:30 – 15:30
Training sessions (parallel)
15:30 – 16:15
Plenary – Biodiversity and ecosystem responses to climate change – Prof. Carl Beierkuhnlein (University of Bayreuth, University of Granada)
16:15 – 17:15
Training sessions (parallel)
17:30 – 18:30
Guided tour in Plovdiv
Day 3
08:00 – 09:00
Registration and drop off of presentations
09:00 – 11:00
Contributed session
11:00 – 11:30
Coffee break
11:30 – 12:15
Plenary – Agroecology – Prof. Vladislav Popov (Agricultural University-Plovdiv)
12:15 – 13:00
LifeWatch ERIC Masterclass
13:00 – 14:30
Lunch break
14:30 – 15:30
Training sessions (parallel)
15:30 – 16:15
Plenary: New frontiers for eScience technologies – Dr. Anne Fouilloux (LifeWatch ERIC)
16:15 – 17:15
Training sessions (parallel)
17:15 – 18:30
Documentary Projection
19:30/20:00
Social Dinner
Day 4
08:00 – 09:00
Registration and drop off of presentations
09:00 – 11:00
Contributed session
11:00 – 11:30
Coffee break
11:30 – 12:15
LifeWatch ERIC Masterclass
12:15 – 13:00
Round table and Closing
- Plennary Sessions
- Agroecology | Presenter: Prof. Vladislav Popov (Agricultural University-Plovdiv)
- Biodiversity and ecosystem responses to climate change | Presenter: Prof. Carl Beierkuhnlein (University of Bayreuth and University of Granada)
- Biodiversity conservation: preventing flora and fauna from extinction | Presenter: Prof. Tatyana Bileva, Prof. Dessislava Dimitrova (Agricultural University-Plovdiv)
- New frontiers for eScience technologies | Presenter: Dr. Anne Fouilloux (LifeWatch ERIC)
- Contributed Sessions
- Uniting science for human, animal, plant and ecosystem health
- Metagenomics and eDNA for biodiversity and ecosystems
- Animal traits, behavior and bio-tracking
- Biodiversity observatories and environmental monitoring
- Habitat mapping
- Biogeography: biodiversity conservation across regions and ecosystems
- Biodiversity and ecosystem responses to climate change
- Restoration of our oceans and waters
- Taxonomic data services
- Semantics and data curation for biodiversity and ecosystem research
- Soil mission & Microbiology
- Agroecology
How to Apply?
You can register for BEeS 2026 by completing the form below.
Please note that this form also collects your interest in the following:
- Optional Activities (at your own expense)
- Guided Tour – 8 July:
A city tour of Plovdiv lasting about one hour, taking place after the conference.
Estimated cost: €10-15 per person. - Social Dinner – 9 July:
The dinner will take place between 19:30-20:00 (TBC).
Estimated cost: TBC.
- Guided Tour – 8 July:
- Accommodation Opportunity
The Agricultural University-Plovdiv offers reduced-fee accommodation for Early Career Researchers (within 7 years of PhD completion).
Estimated cost: €36 per person.
Further details regarding the social dinner, guided tour, and accommodation will be shared soon on this website.
Registration deadline: 15 May
Registration will remain open after this date; however, we may not be able to guarantee access to the optional activities and accommodation listed above.
