Alliance4Life partners met in Bratislava to advance collaboration and define future direction

Representatives of twelve Alliance4Life (A4L) member institutions gathered in Bratislava on 9–10 March 2026 for the annual Community Meeting, hosted by the Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (BMC SAS). The meeting brought together partners from eleven countries to review progress within the A4L_BRIDGE project, exchange experience, and discuss the alliance’s strategic direction.

“Cooperation within Alliance4Life is a great inspiration for our academic community. We don’t just share knowledge; we learn a lot not only from each other but also about ourselves,” Silvia Pastoreková, Director General of BMC SAS and host of the meeting.

The meeting marked the first joint appearance of the new A4L leadership:

• Toivo Maimets (University of Tartu), Chair of Alliance4Life
• Nikola Kostlánová (CEITEC Masaryk University), Coordinator of Alliance4Life
• Eliška Handlířová (CEITEC Masaryk University), Project Lead of A4L_BRIDGE project

Opening the meeting, Toivo Maimets highlighted upcoming challenges, including the evolving policy landscape for Widening countries within the European Union and its implications for research funding and collaboration.

Discussions in Bratislava focused on several key areas:

• further development of the Alliance4Life e-learning platform supporting researchers and research managers,
• results of a consortium-wide survey on the implementation and perceived impact of HR policies,
• opportunities for new collaborative research activities (Virtual Research Centres) and mobility schemes,
• and strengthening joint communication, dissemination of results and their impact.

A central point of discussion was the need to move beyond implementation towards measuring the real impact of institutional changes.

The A4L Board also addressed the long-term strategic direction of the alliance, including potential follow-up initiatives that could further reinforce research excellence and collaboration across the region.

The programme included contributions from invited external partners. Representatives of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Plamena Markova and Maria Ananchenkova, presented opportunities for collaboration, including access to research infrastructures, training programmes, and biological data resources. Marta Agostinho, Chair of EU-LIFE, joined the meeting online and shared perspectives on strengthening collaboration among research-performing organisations in Europe.

The Bratislava meeting reaffirmed the value of sustained collaboration within Alliance4Life. By sharing experience and aligning their efforts, member institutions continue to build stronger, more competitive research environments in Central and Eastern Europe.

The A4L_BRIDGE project plays a key role in this process by providing a structured framework for implementing and testing new approaches across institutions. Its outcomes will not only support institutional change within the consortium, but also contribute to shaping broader research and innovation policies in the Widening countries.

Text adapted for Alliance4Life based on original contribution by BMC SAS (E. Rybárová). Photo: P. Ratajský, BMC SAS