SOLU-BIOD: Looking back on 2025… and here’s to a great 2026!
The year 2025 was a particularly fruitful and formative one for the national research program on Nature-Based Solutions (SOLU-BIOD). Between project launches, scientific highlights, and regional initiatives, the year was marked by numerous exchanges, significant advances, and collaborations in the service of research and local communities. This momentum was made possible by the commitment of the entire SOLU-BIOD community, which came together to collectively advance research and initiatives related to Nature-based Solutions (NbS).
In the rest of this news update, discover the highlights of 2025, which shaped the program and showcase the wealth of contributions from the entire SOLU-BIOD community!
Expanding the operational team
In 2025, the SOLU-BIOD program continued to take shape as it expanded its operational team, while maintaining a sense of continuity.
The team has been joined by:
- Mariem EL HARRAK, Program Manager for the SOLU-BIOD program, coordinates the overall implementation of the program.
- Isabella LAMOS LEMA is responsible for communication, dissemination, and promotion, helping to raise the profile of the program’s scientific findings and events.
- Lucille VALOIS is responsible for the mapping initiative, which is essential for visualizing and analyzing data related to NbS across France.
These appointments build on the work carried out by Martine HOSSAERT, program director for the CNRS; Philip ROCHE, program director for INRAE; and Charlotte PILLON, project manager for Science-Society Interactions, who contribute to the program’s scientific, strategic, and societal direction.
Calls
Call for Research Proposals
This call for research proposals, launched in March 2025, aimed to fund interdisciplinary research projects focusing on the integration of SfN into various environments (urban, agricultural, coastal, protected areas), by combining ecological, social, and economic approaches. It also encouraged the involvement of non-academic stakeholders and the production of results that could be directly applied to public policy and local communities.
Call for Equipment Funding
As part of the program’s ongoing initiatives, SOLU-BIOD launched the first call for equipment proposals in June under the EQUIP project, which aims to significantly advance research on NbS by providing state-of-the-art tools and methodologies for data collection and analysis.
With a total budget of €14.2 million, the call for proposals was conducted in two phases (letters of intent followed by full project proposals) and targeted projects with a duration of 3 to 5 years, with funding ranging from €700,000 to €1 million per project.
Launch of targeted projects
The year 2025 was marked by the launch of several major targeted projects under the SOLU-BIOD program, aimed at establishing a sustainable framework for research, training, and expertise in Nature-based Solutions.
March
Knowledge Hubs
On March 31, 2025, the Knowledge Hubs project was officially launched at a meeting held at the Institute of Botany at the University of Montpellier, with participants attending both in person and remotely.
This project aims to establish synthesis centers that bring together researchers and practitioners to address emerging scientific questions related to NbS.
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July
CHAIRS
On July 11, 2025, the CHAIRS initiative was launched in Paris at Sorbonne University. It aims to create international chairs that will enable universities to strengthen or develop targeted and innovative scientific expertise in the field of NbS.
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October
REACH
Finally, on October 3, 2025, the REACH targeted project was launched online. This project aims to establish a network of regional hubs of expertise on NbS, based on the identification of pilot regions and the creation of five regional hubs.
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April
CRESCENDO and E_SfN
On April 15, 2025, at Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University, SOLU-BIOD launched two new targeted projects. The CRESCENDO project aims to establish interdisciplinary clusters of doctoral students working collectively on shared issues related to NbS, while the E_SfN project aims to develop an “NbS school“, offering interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary academic and professional training in collaboration with academic, institutional, and private stakeholders.
EQUIP
On April 22, 2025, the launch of the EQUIP targeted project at INRAE in Paris marked a significant milestone for the funding and acquisition of innovative research equipment, which is essential for advancing research on NbS.
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With these successive launches, 2025 marked a key milestone in the development of the SOLU-BIOD program!
News and Events from Living Labs
The SOLU-BIOD national network of Living Labs – a cornerstone of the program comprising eleven laboratories located throughout France and its overseas territories – continued its activities throughout 2025.
Highlights include:
- VIVALP Living Lab (Alps) : annual seminar in Courchevel on October 13, 2025, to present its initial findings on Nature-based Solutions applied to Alpine regions.
- Magellan Living Lab (French Guiana) : the “Mangroves, Biodiversity, and Coasts” Days, held from November 4 to 6, 2025, brought together scientists, local stakeholders, and partners to discuss mangroves as NbS, particularly in relation to climate change adaptation and the preservation of coastal ecosystems.
The Living Labs network saw a host of other news items, job openings, newsletters, and on-the-ground initiatives throughout the year. To learn more, check out all the latest news from the Living Labs on the National Living Labs Network page.
Scientific Days 2025
The 2nd SOLU-BIOD Scientific Days took place on September 24 and 25, 2025, in Grenoble. The event brought together researchers, field practitioners, and stakeholders to discuss the program’s progress, featuring lectures, roundtables, and participatory workshops. It provided an overview of ongoing work, fostered interdisciplinary dialogue, and strengthened the ties between science and society. You can find more details on the feedback from the scientific days here.
A huge thank you to everyone who helped make 2025 such a wonderful year for the SOLU-BIOD program. Researchers, project teams, institutional partners, and field practitioners: your energy, your dedication, and the quality of our discussions have kept the program vibrant throughout the year. Thank you for joining us as we embark on this new year with great enthusiasm, ambition, and a commitment to continue growing our community and advancing, together, the ideas and actions surrounding Nature-based Solutions!
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