1st June 2026 marks the launch of ISIDORe II (Integrated Services for Infectious Disease Outbreak Research II), a new chapter in Europe’s efforts to strengthen pandemic preparedness and response research.
Coordinated by ERINHA and funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe [1], ISIDORe II brings together Europe’s leading infectious disease and life science research infrastructures with a budget of €10.5 million over three years.
Building on the achievements of the original ISIDORe project, launched in 2022 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ISIDORe II aims to transform an emergency-driven initiative into a sustainable European capacity for preparedness research.
The project will provide researchers with coordinated access to high-containment facilities, advanced technologies, scientific expertise, biological resources, and the data infrastructures needed to address the threat from epidemic- and pandemic-prone pathogens.
Building on the Success of ISIDORe
ISIDORe was created at a critical moment, when Europe needed to mobilise rapidly its research infrastructures to join the urgent fight against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. By integrating services from across the infectious disease research continuum – from structural biology to clinical trials – the project demonstrated the value of a coordinated European approach to outbreak research.
Over the course of the project, ISIDORe supported 174 research projects, provided access to more than 300 services, and enabled multidisciplinary collaborations across Europe and beyond. It also established a unique framework bringing together research infrastructures, public health stakeholders and scientific communities, all sharing a common preparedness objective.
Its achievements highlighted the strategic importance of maintaining a coordinated infrastructure ecosystem capable of responding rapidly to future health threats.
From Emergency Response to Long-Term Preparedness
While ISIDORe focused on supporting urgent COVID-19 research and strengthening preparedness capacities, ISIDORe II takes a broader and more strategic perspective.
The new project is designed as a leaner, more operationally integrated consortium that will continue providing access to world-class research infrastructure services while reinforcing long-term sustainability, interoperability and alignment with European preparedness policies. Emphasis will be placed on One Health approaches, FAIR data practices, user support, training activities, and engagement with SMEs, early-career researchers, and those from Widening Countries.
“ISIDORe II reflects a fundamental lesson learned from recent outbreaks: preparedness cannot be built during a crisis alone. By strengthening cooperation between Europe’s leading research infrastructures and providing seamless access to expertise, technologies and data, ISIDORe II will help ensure that the scientific community is better equipped to anticipate and respond to future infectious disease threats,” said Audrey Richard, Deputy Director of ERINHA, who coordinates ISIDORe II.
[1] ISIDORe II has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 101293306.