Research Infrastructures
Research infrastructures (RIs) are those facilities, resources and related services that the scientific community use to conduct high-level research. They cover a range of research fields from engineering and social sciences to genomics and astronomy and can be single-sited (a single resource at a single location), distributed (a network of distributed resources) or virtual (the service is provided electronically). Research infrastructures can be also used beyond research e.g. for education or public services and are nowadays crucial for fostering innovation.
The importance of RIs are undisputable as they play a vital strategic role in the advancement and exploitation of knowledge and technology. Not only are they necessary to the structuring of the scientific community – offering high quality research services, networking facilities, attracting young people to science – they also aid in the construction of an efficient research and innovation environment. As Carlos Moedas, former Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation said:
“Europe needs top-class research infrastructures to generate new knowledge that helps tackle the environmental and social challenges our societies are facing.”
The European approach to research infrastructures has made remarkable progress in recent years with the implementation of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) roadmap, integrating and opening national research facilities and developing e-infrastructures underpinning a digital European Research Area (ERA).
ESFRI started a comprehensive reflection process on the role of research infrastructures in the evolving ERA. Within the H2020 programme the objective is to develop the European RIs so as they become a new world-class RIs by integrating and opening national RIs of pan-European interest, development, and through deployment and operation of ICT based e-Infrastructures. This to foster the innovation potential of RIs and their human capital while also reinforcing European RI policy and international cooperation.
In future it is expected that Research Infrastuctures will remain at the core of the ERA and Horizon Europe will further aim at integrated and inter-connected world-class research infrastructures through:
- Consolidation of the landscape of European Research Infrastructures (meaning a) higher R&I sustainability through the development, operation and sustainability of ESFRI that is essential to the creation and use of new knowledge and the competitiveness of industries and b) making the EOSC (European Open Science Cloud) an effective and comprehensive delivery channel for R&I services;
- Opening, integrating and interconnecting Research Infrastructures ( this to enhance the research landscape by ensuring openness to key international, national and regional R&I and integrating their services);
- Reinforcing the European Research Infrastructure policy and International Cooperation (the goal is a stronger cooperation with international counterparts and international participation in European Research infrastructures).
Find below all information we published as far as the research infrastructures are concerned.
News
-
Founded in late 2016 by Prof. Herwig Schopper, former Director General of CERN and initiator of the major SESAME project in Jordan, The Southeast European International Institute for Sustainable Technologies...
-
Open access to JRC Research Infrastructures
The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) opens its scientific laboratories and facilities to people working in academia and research organisations, industry, small and medium enterprises (...
-
Switzerland to broker €200M science project in the Western Balkans
Bern is boosting science diplomacy as part of a new foreign policy strategy, and is stepping in to help this fractious region get a shared research infrastructure off the drawing board
Events
-
European Week of Regions and Cities (#EURegionsWeek)
What is it? The European Week of Regions and Cities (#EURegionsWeek) is the biggest annual Brussels-based event dedicated to cohesion policy. It has grown to become a unique communication and networking...
-
International Conference on Research Infrastructures - ICRI 2022
In October 2022, Brno will host a gathering of leaders in the field of research infrastructures – their users, policymakers, and stakeholders. The South Moravian metropolis will host the International...
-
CERIC-CEI OpeN ACces Training – “Materials characterisation for the Green Deal”
CERIC-ERIC (Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium) actively supports the EU Green Deal by focusing on the development of dedicated services in the field of Energy. A three-day free of ...
Organisations
-
Institute of Social Sciences, Serbia
The Institute of Social Sciences has six scientific research centres (Centre for Demographic Research, Centre for Politicological Research and Public Opinion, Centre for Economic Research, Centre for ...
-
Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP)
Founded in 1964 by the late Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam, ICTP seeks to accomplish its mandate by providing scientists from developing countries with the continuing education and skills that they need to...
-
Since the early 1950s, a number of powerful research infrastructures and laboratories have been developed and deployed by the European Intergovernmental Research Organisations for the benefit of Europe...
Calls
-
JRC invites proposals for projects to experiment, prototype and demonstrate ideas for the New European Bauhaus.
-
CERIC Call for Proposals Now Open
The Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium, CERIC-ERIC is calling for proposals for coordinated access to more than 50 instruments and support laboratories for research in all fields of materials...
-
CERIC Call for Proposals now OPEN
Documents
-
The The South East European International Institute for Sustainable Technologies (SEEIIST) is proud to present its first SEEIIST newsletter. The newsletter will be another channel of communication...
-
Integration of social sciences and humanities in Horizon 2020
The integration of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in Horizon 2020 is an important feature of the programme. To monitor the development of this cross-cutting issue is an EU commitment.
-
[WBC-RTI.INFO Newsletter] - Highlighting Research Infrastructures
Research infrastructures (RIs) are those facilities, resources and related services that the scientific community use to conduct high-level research. They cover a range of research fields from engineering...
Links
-
JRC video: Sharing EU laboratories – Cracking the 'mud brick' challenge
This is the story of Dutch researchers who studied adobe 'mud bricks' to better understand how soldiers on peacekeeping missions can be protected using this building material. Find the video here...
-
JRC video: Take a virtual tour of the Gas Testing Laboratory
This facility is one of the few in Europe that carries out performance tests on high pressure tanks for hydrogen vehicle. Find the video and more information here This facility is one of the few...
-
Distributed System of Scientific Collections (DiSSCo)
The Distributed System of Scientific Collections (DiSSCo) is a new world-class Research Infrastructure (RI) for natural science collections. The DiSSCo RI works for the digital unification of...
Projects
-
The South East European International Institute for Sustainable Technologies (SEEIIST) proposed in late 2016 by Prof. Herwig Schopper, a former Director General of CERN and initiator of the international...
-
European Social Survey Sustainability
The societal challenges affecting European societies require responsive socio-economic policy solutions. The European Social Survey is an unparalleled resource enabling stability and change in Europeans...
-
The Human Brain Project (HBP) is building a research infrastructure to help advance neuroscience, medicine and computing. It is one of four FET (Future and Emerging Technology) Flagships, the largest...