The importance of research infrastructures within the EU

Dr Beatrix Vierkorn-Rudolph, Chair of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), discusses the research infrastructures at the interface of the knowledge triangle…

Research infrastructures enable research that will not be possible without them. They are therefore also a key instrument in defending Europe’s competitive position. More than ever, Europe’s welfare is dependent on scientific and technological innovation.

Research infrastructures also help to deal with the growing number of ‘Grand Challenges’ such as global warming, tightening supplies of energy, water and food, or securing quality of life for an ageing population. Progress in all of these areas depends upon strong innovation capabilities that require access to the highest quality research infrastructures.

Research infrastructures contribute to the implementation of Europe 2010 strategy and its Innovation Union Flagship Initiative and help to make the European Research Area (ERA) a reality. They offer stimulating research environments that attract researchers from different countries, regions and disciplines, enabling leading-edge research. They provide unique opportunities for training of young scientists and engineers, and are key tools to facilitate knowledge transfer to industry and society. Along these lines they create the basis for technological development which supports the international competitiveness of European research and the creation of jobs.

ESFRI’s strategic role on research infrastructures within the ERA
Created in 2002 by the member states and the European Commission to develop the scientific integration of Europe and to strengthen its international outreach, ESFRI has been mandated 2004 by the Competitiveness Council to develop a strategic roadmap for Europe in the field of research infrastructures that covers all areas of research and also e-infrastructures describing the scientific needs for research infrastructures in the next 10-20 years.

In 2007 the Competitiveness Council recommended that ESFRI updates this roadmap at regular intervals in order to cope with rapid evolution of scientific and technological needs. The publication of the first European Roadmap for Research Infrastructures in 2006 was an important breakthrough. Since then the roadmap has been updated twice. In its Strategy Report and Update Roadmap 2010, ESFRI now presents 48 projects, which have been selected from more than 260 originally submitted proposals spanning the whole range of science and technology.

ESFRI’s main challenge
The Europe 2010 Flagship Initiative-Innovation Union has set the strategic target that, by 2015, member states together with the Commission should have completed or launched the construction of 60 per cent of the priority European research infrastructures identified by ESFRI. ESFRI therefore set its main focus since 2011 on implementation. 10 of the ESFRI projects already reached the implementation phase while a further 16 are in progress towards it.

ESFRI has identified in its response to the ERA framework consultation that the lack of sustainable funding appeared the single most important bottleneck for most ESFRI proposals. This will be even more the case in the present financial situation in many member states and associated countries. ESFRI believes that the necessary national support could be encouraged if at least some funding of the European Commission could be anticipated for the implementation phase of the projects.

The majority of the funding – more than 95 per cent – for research infrastructures is provided by member states and associated countries. To complement this, adequate financing to support access to research infrastructures by the European Commission is of great importance to make the ERA concept sustainable and visible.

ESFRI supports the intention of the Commission to foster the innovation potential of research infrastructures and to coordinate cohesion funding sources in order ‘to ensure synergies and a coherent approach for the development of the research infrastructures’. Increasing numbers of countries are attempting to use structural funds for the construction of research infrastructures, including in particular excellent regional or national research infrastructures open to transnational participation.

One of the challenges in implementing ESFRI projects is the use of the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) that should in principle ease the setting up of a legal entity. Some countries are hesitating to use an ERIC since they had to exempt this legal entity from VAT. But progress is ongoing here so that very soon some more ERICs may have been set up.

ESFRI’s strategy for a more balanced landscape of research infrastructures in Europe
One of ESFRI’s action items is to promote regional cooperation. In this context, the idea of Regional Partner Facilities (RPF) was developed as a promising concept and was recognised as such by the Competitiveness Council in 2009.¹

RPF could be an attractive measure to assist the regions in developing further their capacities. ESFRI is currently also strengthening its focus on implementation of regional nodes of distributed pan-European research infrastructures.

Future role of ESFRI
Although the implementation and prioritisation process of ESFRI projects currently listed on the roadmap 2010 is ongoing, ESFRI is nevertheless monitoring scientific developments and emerging research challenges to promote the establishment of ERA.

In its vision 2020, ESFRI recommended a shared evaluation and prioritisation of pan-European research infrastructures based on national, international and ESFRI’s best practices to evolve better governance and sustainability.

ESFRI’s role in stimulating and facilitating the setting up of new global research infrastructures and the operation of existing ones is growing as, for example, the first International Conference of Research Infrastructures 2012 (ICRI 2012) acknowledged. ICRI 2012 claimed in its conclusions a global network of policymakers building upon achievements of GSO and adopting the coordinated approach of existing intergovernmental fora (like ESFRI and the Global Science Forum).

Especially in difficult financial situations as at present, ESFRI will play an increasing role in pooling limited financial resources and will therefore assist national authorities in exploring integrated activities for the best development and use of research infrastructures of pan-European relevance.


¹ A Regional Partner Facility (RPF) to a research infrastructure of pan-European interest must itself be a facility of national or regional importance in terms of socioeconomic returns, training and attracting researchers and technicians. The quality of the facility, including the level of its scientific service, management and open access policy, must meet the same standards required for pan-European research infrastructures. The recognition as an RPF should be under the responsibility of the pan-European research infrastructures itself (or the members of a to-be ERIC) based on regular peer review.