ELIXIR

ELIXIR is an intergovernmental organisation that brings together European life sciences resources – datasets, software tools and workflows, interoperability and the FAIR principles (findability, accessibility, compatibility and reusability), high-performance computing and training – into a single, coordinated infrastructure. Its aim is to support and develop data-intensive research in life sciences, including bioinformatics, systems biology, precision medicine, agriculture and environmental sciences. ELIXIR develops relevant standards, best practices and digital tools, as well as provides educational workshops and training materials that help researchers develop digital skills and make full use of the available infrastructure resources.

ELIXIR was established in 2013 and currently brings together more than 250 research institutes from 22 Member States, including our neighbouring country Estonia. The ELIXIR community includes more than 850 researchers from all over Europe. Each member state has its own national hub – a network of institutions that provide national services and support local users.

ELIXIR continues to expand – Austria, Romania and Cyprus are currently observer states and are expected to become full members in the near future. Malta and Croatia are potential members, whose accession process is already underway. Slovakia and Poland are also expected to submit applications for membership in the near future.

The aim of the future national ELIXIR hub in Latvia, from June 2025 to the end of November 2029, will be to strengthen the life sciences ecosystem in Latvia by building a sustainable bioinformatics and systems biology infrastructure that meets ELIXIR standards and priorities. Skills in data management, the development of reproducible and interoperable software tools and workflows, as well as the training of researchers and the exchange of knowledge on an international scale will be developed. These activities will ensure Latvia's successful integration into the ELIXIR community – initially as an observer state and later as a full member state – while increasing Latvia's contribution to European research infrastructures and international projects.