INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACION DE RECURSOS BIOLOGICOS ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT

Their core work

Colombia's national biodiversity research institute, the Alexander von Humboldt Institute studies and monitors the country's biological resources, with a particular focus on ecosystems, conservation science, and the relationship between urban development and natural systems. In EU research projects, they contribute field expertise in Latin American urban ecosystems and nature-based solutions, acting as the scientific bridge between Colombian and European urban environments. Their work centers on co-producing practical knowledge with local communities and municipal actors — translating ecosystem science into tools that city planners and policymakers can actually use. They are one of very few Latin American public research institutions with an active presence in EU H2020 projects, positioning them as a rare entry point into CELAC-region scientific networks.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Both H2020 projects started in 2020, so there is no meaningful long-term temporal arc to analyze — the Institute entered EU funding at a single moment in time rather than evolving across multiple funding cycles. That said, within those two simultaneous projects there is a visible shift in framing: CONEXUS is grounded in transdisciplinary NBS science, while INTERLACE moves toward the political and spatial dimensions of urban restoration — sustainable development, inclusive cities, and international policy cooperation between world regions. The trajectory points toward a broader urban-policy role, not just ecological fieldwork.

The Institute is moving from ecosystem science contributor toward a defined role as Latin America's scientific liaison in EU urban sustainability research, making them increasingly valuable for any consortium that needs credible CELAC-region presence and on-the-ground urban case studies.

How they like to work

They participate exclusively as consortium partners — never as coordinator — which is typical for non-EU institutions in H2020, where legal and administrative requirements favor European project leads. Despite the limited project count, they connect with a notably large partner network (53 unique organizations across 20 countries), suggesting they join well-connected, broad international consortia rather than small bilateral arrangements. Working with them likely means entering a multi-country consortium where they contribute specific Latin American field expertise and local stakeholder access rather than leading on work packages.

Across just two projects, they have worked with 53 unique partner organizations in 20 countries — an unusually wide network for an organization with minimal EU project history, reflecting the large international consortia focused on EU–Latin America cooperation that they have joined. Their network spans European countries and CELAC nations, giving them contacts on both sides of the Atlantic.

What sets them apart

The Alexander von Humboldt Institute is Colombia's official national biodiversity institution — not a university lab or a consulting firm, but a state-mandated authority on biological resources, which gives their scientific outputs a level of national credibility that few other Latin American partners can match. For any European consortium that needs to work in Colombia or across Latin America, they are one of the few scientifically credible and institutionally stable entry points available. Their combination of ecosystem field expertise, public institutional standing, and proven EU project participation makes them the default choice for CELAC-facing urban ecology or NBS research proposals.

Highlights from their portfolio

• INTERLACE
  The largest of their two projects (EUR 202,500 in EC funding, running through 2025), this is explicitly designed around EU–CELAC cooperation for urban ecosystem restoration, making it the clearest demonstration of the Institute's role as a Latin America–Europe scientific bridge.
• CONEXUS
  Focused on the transdisciplinary co-production of NBS knowledge for urban sustainability, this project shows the Institute's capacity to work across scientific disciplines and with non-academic actors in practical city-level contexts.