The Ecology of Soil Microorganisms Conference (ESM) was held in Helsinki, Finland, on 17 June 2025. The event serves as an interdisciplinary forum exploring topics related to individual soil microbes (including archaea, bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, protozoa, and viruses) as well as their communities and ecological networks. It integrates modern genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic techniques with soil chemical, biochemical, and functional analyses, alongside research in soil fauna and plant ecology. 

During the conference SOLO partners Guusje Koorneef (NIO-KNAW) and Taina Pennanen (Luke) co-organised a panel discussion titled “What role must soil researchers play in steering Europe towards more sustainable soil use?”. Five more panel members were invited - Sophie Zechmeister-Boltenstern (EJP SOIL), Tania Galindo-Castaneda (SOILGUARD), Shamina Imran Pathan (LEGUMINOSE), Tijana Martinović (HoliSoils) - who had presented their research during the preceding Soil Health session. 

The panel discussion was attended by approximately 300 soil scientists, innovators and representatives of different EU institutions. The questions centred on how to bridge the gap between scientific research and its practical implementation by farmers, practitioners, and policymakers. They explored the role of researchers in fostering this connection, including lessons learned from projects, the potential need to adopt new roles such as facilitators or intermediaries, and the effectiveness of transdisciplinary approaches like workshops. Additionally, they addressed the importance of context, both environmental and socio-economic, in defining soil health, and whether current EU research efforts should expand beyond agricultural soils to include urban, natural, and forested land uses.

The panel facilitated lively discussions, which were positively received and reviewed by participants.