Project M1.1.A/INFRAEST CIENT/001/2022

The VISION of the AZORESBIOPORTAL - PORBIOTA is to become the main Azorean Infrastructure for biodiversity and ecosystem information and research, providing data and services to further scientific understanding, and nature conservation and sustainable use. Our MISSION is to collect, store, standardize, disseminate and provide computing resources to analyse data on biodiversity, from genes to ecosystems, and the environment, including greenhouse gases.

The VISION of the AZORESBIOPORTAL - PORBIOTA is to become the main Azorean Infrastructure for biodiversity and ecosystem information and research, providing data and services to further scientific understanding, and nature conservation and sustainable use. Our MISSION is to collect, store, standardize, disseminate and provide computing resources to analyse data on biodiversity, from genes to ecosystems, and the environment, including greenhouse gases.
AZORESBIOPORTAL - PORBIOTA promotes a regional agenda for biodiversity and ecosystemsresearch, providing services for the scientific community, policy makers and managers, raising awareness, and enhancing public understanding of science. AZORESBIOPORTAL - PORBIOTA involves institutions from academia, and works collaboratively with stakeholders such as citizen scientists, NGOs, SMEs, large corporations and public institutions. AZORESBIOPORTAL - PORBIOTA is uniquely positioned to harness the power of new information technologies and big data, providing a unique asset to foster excellent research by the Azorean and Macaronesian research community. It also provides high-quality knowledge needed to tackle priority societal challenges, and contributes to addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the post-2020 Biodiversity Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity. At the European level, the infrastructure is uniquely positioned to address the challenges of the European Green Deal, namely in what respects the Biodiversity and Forest strategies for 2030 and the Carbon neutrality targets for 2050, the Farm to Fork Strategy, and the EU Nature restoration targets. The activity of AZORESBIOPORTAL - PORBIOTA is rooted in international networks, as it is the national node of LifeWatch-ERIC, and is deeply engaged in Portugal PORBIOTA and GBIF.


The AZORESBIOPORTAL e-infrastructure (http://azoresbioportal.uac.pt/) will be designed and structured from the user's perspective, simultaneously considering the potential and needs of a wide range of providers and users of information on biodiversity. The infrastructure is led by Paulo Borges and involves another 23 researchers and 14 collaborators belonging to three top R&D units at regional level (Azorean Biodiversity Group; CIBIO-Azores; OKEANUS). By aggregating, harmonizing and providing data on terrestrial and marine biodiversity, this infrastructure contributes to 7 of the 9 Priority Domains of the RIS3 Azores. It will also contribute as a potential data provider for the “AZORES Air Center”. It will therefore be an essential instrument for ecosystem monitoring programs and direct support for the implementation and evaluation of policies for the conservation of nature and biodiversity in the Azores.

For 2022-2023 our main strategy will be:
-Strengthen the stakeholder network, with a particular focus on data producers and end users, involving a dedicated web channel, new services, and enhanced outreach;
-Reinforce biodiversity data mobilisation, improve the public data platform, and explore new models for ecosystem and environment data.
- Enhance access to existing services & activities portfolio, and create new ones based on novel technological tools, addressing emerging societal needs.
- Develop a training programme for AZORESBIOPORTAL users, including citizen scientists, to improve the incorporation of biodiversity and ecosystem data in decision-making processes
- Increase the effectiveness of internal and external communication channels and the visibility and notoriety of AZORESBIOPORTAL by: improving the institutional website; reinforcing the presence in social media; organising workshops and other stakeholder events;
- Prioritizing activities addressing major societal challenges: e.g., post-2020 Biodiversity targets, and EU Green Deal (Biodiversity, Carbon & Farm to Fork Strategies).