The lack of interdisciplinary research infrastructures has fuelled this fragmentation. DANUBIUS-RI will fill the gap, drawing on existing research excellence across Europe, enhancing the impact of European research while maximising the return on investment. It will provide access to a range of European river-sea systems, facilities and expertise; a ‘one-stop shop’ for knowledge exchange in managing river-sea systems; access to harmonised data; and a platform for interdisciplinary research, inspiration, education and training.

The research infrastructure will comprise a Hub and a Data Centre in Romania, a Technology Transfer Office in Ireland, and Supersites and Nodes across Europe. The Hub will provide leadership, coordination, and key scientific, educational and analytical capabilities. Supersites will be designated natural sites that provide the focus for observation, research and modelling at locations of high scientific importance and utilizing a range of opportunities to study RS systems from river source to coastal sea. Nodes will be centres of expertise providing facilities and services, data storage and provision, experimental and in situ measurements facilities, state-of-the-art analytical capabilities and implementation of standardised procedures and quality control (the DANUBIUS Commons).

This structure will enable DANUBIUS-RI to build on existing expertise and synergies to support world-leading interdisciplinary research and innovation in freshwater-marine research.

DANUBIUS-RI is included in the 2016 ESFRI Roadmap (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures) and is a EUSDR Flagship Project (EU Strategy for the Danube Region)

DANUBIUS-RI will apply for designation as an ERIC (European Research Infrastructure Consortium)

Partners

The development of DANUBIUS-RI is led by Romania. Funding commitments have so far been given by four countries (Germany, Italy, Romania and Spain) with political commitment from a further seven (Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Moldova, Netherlands and UK). Expressions of interest and support from the scientific community have been received from these countries and also from an additional 16 European and non-European countries (Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, China, India, Morocco and USA.

Regarding Western Balkans, two partners from Serbia are involved: the University of Belgrade and the University of Novi Sad.

Structrure

Physically, DANUBIUS-RI will be distributed across Europe to optimize the use of existing world-leading expertise.

The Hub and Data Centre in Romania, a Technology Transfer Office in Ireland, and Supersites and Nodes across Europe. The Hub will provide leadership, coordination, and key scientific, educational and analytical capabilities. Supersites are designated natural sites providing the focus for observation, research and modelling at locations of high scientific importance and utilizing a range of opportunities to study river-sea systems from river source to coastal sea. Nodes will be centres of expertise providing facilities and services, data storage and provision, experimental and in situ measurements facilities, state-of-the-art analytical capabilities and implementation of standardised procedures and quality control (the DANUBIUS Commons).

This structure will enable DANUBIUS-RI to build on existing expertise and synergies to support world-leading interdisciplinary research and innovation in freshwater-marine research.

Project Development

DANUBIUS-RI has developed over the last decade as an international collaboration led by Romania.

The preparation for the application for Structural Funds for the Hub development will also start in 2016. The same process will start a year later for the infrastructures required in some of the Nodes and Supersites, depending on the first decisions to be made in the Preparatory Phase

The timeline for shows a target for DANUBIUS-RI becoming operational in 2022.

Although initial planning started in 2006, the Planning Phase for a pan-European distributed Research Infrastructure started in 2011 with construction of the Hub starting in 2012. The Preparatory Phase will complete the detailed planning of DANUBIUS-RI. ERIC status will be applied for in 2020 with the Operational Phase starting in 2022 with full operation in 2025. By then all construction at the Hub, Supersites, Node, Data Centre and Technology Transfer Office, and interconnection between them, will be completed.

Source: DANUBIUS-RI