From Change Management to Collaboration: EU-LIFE, Alliance4Life and What’s Ahead at CTLS 2025

Core facilities are essential engines of scientific progress. They provide access to complex technologies, expert support, and structured services that enable researchers to focus on what they do best: making discoveries. Yet as technologies evolve and institutional priorities shift, core facilities must also transform — often in ways that are anything but simple.

This challenge is addressed head-on in a recent article published in EMBO Reports, “Unlocking success: The power of change management in core facilities.” Written by members of the EU-LIFE Core Facilities Working Group, the article presents a compelling case for using structured change management methods to guide the evolution of core services. Drawing on real-world examples from three research institutes across Europe, it outlines what works, what doesn’t, and why leadership, communication, and careful planning make all the difference.

One of the case studies comes from CEITEC Masaryk University, a proud founding member of Alliance4Life. The case follows a decision to merge CEITEC’s two facilities under one, aiming to streamline operations and offer a more sustainable service portfolio. While the merger presented logistical and cultural challenges, it provided vital lessons in evaluation, adaptation, and the long game of institutional transformation. As with any meaningful change, the real impact will unfold over time — guided by reflection, user feedback, and strategic adjustments.

This case also reflects the broader mission of Alliance4Life. Through her role as chair of the Alliance’s Core Facilities Focus Group, Kateřina Hošková — co-author of the article and the driving force behind the CEITEC case — has become a vital bridge between EU-LIFE and Alliance4Life. Thanks to her dual involvement, tested practices from Western Europe are now being shared with core facility managers and institutional leaders across 11 research-performing institutions in Widening countries. This exchange not only enhances research capacity in Central and Eastern Europe but also helps to build a more cohesive and competitive European Research Area (ERA).

The next chapter in this collaboration will unfold in Brno, when CEITEC and Kateřina Hošková host the CTLS Congress 2025 — one of the most important European events dedicated to core facility professionals. Organised under the Core Technologies for Life Sciences (CTLS) association, the congress will bring together facility managers, scientists, students, technical experts, and decision-makers from across the continent to share insights, forge collaborations, and explore what’s next for the core facility ecosystem.

This edition of the congress will be particularly meaningful for Alliance4Life. All members of the Core Facilities Focus Group, along with directors of member institutes, have been invited to take part in learning and sharing their stories. The congress will showcase institutional strategies that reflect the region’s unique challenges — and opportunities — while offering a chance to learn from peers operating in diverse contexts.

But CTLS 2025 is not only about content — it’s also about place. Brno is a city where science and technology run deep. Known as one of Europe’s capitals of electron microscopy and home to global companies that produce the tools of modern research, Brno offers a fitting backdrop for conversations about the future of core technologies. From cutting-edge infrastructure to a collaborative scientific culture, it is a city that embodies what CTLS stands for: innovation, community, and the drive to advance science.