Download PDF version - FenRIAM

Assessing RIs in Europe – the policy contextResearch Infrastructures (RIs) of pan-European significance are recognised as significant contributors to excellence, creativity, and innovative ideas.Therefore they are essential ingredients for the realisation of core objectives of regional, national, and European policies in the context ofglobal competition. The necessity of new arrangements, improved coordination, and greater efficiency of RI related activities in order to respond adequatelyto the newly emerging needs of science and industry has been frequently addressed in recent years.Key policy messages:• World class large-scale RIs are widely acknowledged by European Member States (MS) and the European Commission (EC) as playing a keyrole in the implementation of the ERA (European Research Area) vision and the European Knowledge Society.• In the Green Paper on ERA (EC 2007) the EC acknowledged world-class RIs in the form of joint European ventures as key features of a fullyrealised European Research Area.• The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) and the joint effort of the MS to develop a common European Roadmapfor RIs (ESFRI 2006), identifying key needs and priority areas for large-scale RIs, reflects the significance of this issue and is a first step on the way toa sound European RI landscape.• The current Framework Programme FP7 contains in its specific programme “Capacities” a section on RI with a funding volume of more than€ 1.8 billion over its duration up to 2013, with the aim to “optimise the use and development of the best RIs existing in Europe” and […] “help tocreate new RIs of pan-European interest in all fields of science and technology.” (EC 2009).• The Commission outlined in the working document (EC 2001) priority actions towards:• creating mechanisms for EU-wide scientific advice and policy-making on RIs,• combining the resources of the MS for the development of new key RIs, and• optimising the exploitation of existing RIs in Europe.Projects from the ESFRI Roadmap, with the financial support of FP7, havenow entered the preparatory phase for construction. The implementation ofa funding-mix approach would be of particular importance, linking nationalresources and European Structural Funds to support the poorer EuropeanMS in shouldering the immense financial burdens brought about by projectsof this dimension. Key decisions on RI financing, location, management, anddevelopment, have to account for considerable social and economic disparitiesamong regions since the EU enlargement and be in line with objectivesof European Cohesion Policy, thus promoting smart regional developmentacross all of its regions.The European Cohesion Policy seeks to overcome the economicand social disparities and strengthen Europe’s economic andpolitical integration by:(1) investing in areas of high growth potential,(2) investing in the drivers of growth and employment, and(3) developing synergies and complementarities with otherCommunity policies.16