iBOL Consortium – Press Release
Academy of Finland approves €2,760,000 in funding for the expansion of Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility

19 December 2018
The Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility (
FinBIF 2.0 is a consortium of four partners established to build biodiversity information infrastructure in Finland. It includes the Ecology and Genetics Research Unit at the University of Oulu, that has been promoting DNA barcoding activities across Finland as a member of the International Barcode of Life (iBOL) Consortium since 2011. With the Academy’s support of €387,000 from the FinBIF 2.0 project and internal resources, Oulu will receive €553,300 ($849,620 CAD) to advance the completion of a DNA barcode reference library for the Finnish flora and fauna.
Marko Mutanen, Senior Curator at the Ecology and Genetics Research Unit at Oulu and coordinator of Finnish Barcode of Life (FinBOL), said: “Finland is at the forefront of a comprehensive DNA barcode reference library for biota at a national level. Currently, about
“Finland is at the forefront of a comprehensive DNA barcode reference library for biota at a national level. Currently, about
Marko Mutanen
Senior Curator at the Ecology and Genetics Research Unit at the University of Oulu
Coordinator of Finnish Barcode of Life (FinBOL)
FinBIF was established in 2012 to compile Finnish biodiversity information to one single service for open-access sharing. The Laji.fi portal enables visitors to browse, record,
In March 2018, the Academy of Finland – an agency within the administrative branch of the Finnish Ministry of Education, Science and Culture – asked for proposals for 2018: Infrastructures on Finland’s Roadmap as part of Finland’s Strategy and Roadmap for Research Infrastructures. €12 million was provided to eight beneficiaries with nationally significant research infrastructures that promote cutting-edge research.
“The top score received by FinBIF in the international evaluation reflects the strength and maturity of the implementing Consortium. The very welcome national support enables us to stay in the forefront of the rapidly developing field of biodiversity informatics,” says Professor Leif Schulman, Director of the Finnish Museum of Natural History LUOMUS at the University of Helsinki and Principal Investigator of the FinBIF Consortium.
“We can foresee exciting breakthroughs in the technologies for gathering and
Professor Leif Schulman
Director of the Finnish Museum of Natural History LUOMUS at the University of Helsinki
Principal Investigator of the FinBIF Consortium
With a new injection of funding,
“We can foresee exciting breakthroughs in the technologies for gathering and
Media Contacts:
International Barcode of Life Consortium
Hannah James
Manager – Media and Strategic Communications
hjames@ibol.org
The International Barcode of Life (iBOL) Consortium is a research alliance with a mission to develop and apply a globally accessible, DNA-based system for the discovery and identification of all multicellular life. Our vision is to illuminate biodiversity for the benefit of our living planet.
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