24th July 2025 — At the end of June, the Brussels representation of DLR Projektträger, together with the Research Council of Norway, hosted the Brussels Future Talk at Norway House in Brussels. Stakeholders from science, practice and politics – including, for the first time, three Directorates-General of the EU – discussed new scientific findings, research gaps and practical experience related to “One Health”. They also provided impetus for national and European policy-making.

The One Health concept describes how the health of humans, animals and ecosystems is closely interlinked. It aims to balance and optimise the health of ecosystems, animals, plants and humans. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, research has also been increasingly focusing on this approach.

The dialogue at the event was opened by the scientific keynotes of two pioneers in One Health research: Prof. Jakob Zinsstag from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute at the University of Basel and Prof. Mariel Cristina Aguilar Støen from the Centre for Development and the Environment at the University of Oslo.

Central questions of the subsequent contributions and the panel discussion were: How can planetary and environmental health be strengthened within the One Health concept? What contribution does transdisciplinary research make? And what is needed for the implementation of One Health measures on the ground?

The discussion showed that:

• People have much to gain from One Health – economically, ecologically and socially.
• One Health pays off in terms of prevention, helps prepare for environmental and health crises, and improves the resilience of the economy and society.
• Integrated observations and measurements in research and data collection are necessary to exploit the potential of One Health.
• Transdisciplinary research is the key: More scientists, politicians and other social stakeholders need to address this issue.
• Science diplomacy must be strengthened in the EU, especially where different disciplines overlap. Capacity is needed here to enable scientific fields and stakeholders to work together across borders.

Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary One Health research helps to understand the potential for economic, ecological and social innovations in a coherent way. This requires close cooperation at the interface between science, politics and administration. Stakeholders at all political and administrative levels benefit from coordinated prevention and joint resilience development.

DLR Projektträger as a partner for holistic solutions

The interdisciplinary nature of the topic is reflected in the structure of DLR Projektträger: One Health is anchored in several divisions. Experts from the fields of Environment and Sustainability, Health and European and International Cooperation took part in the dialogue. Dr Birgit Kuna from the Environment and Sustainability division discussed practical approaches to ‘One Health for sustainable societies’ in her contribution. The Health division presented, among other topics, the German One Health platform as a national best practice example for building a One Health research community. The Health division presented, among other topics, the German One Health platform as a national best practice example for building a One Health research community.