The EU Commission has launched a new European strategy on research and technology infrastructures to boost Europe’s leadership in scientific excellence and technological innovation.
The strategy aims to ensure that scientists, researchers, innovators, and industry have easy access to Europe’s cutting-edge facilities, high-quality data and tailored services. It also aims to encourage world-class researchers and innovators to ‘Choose Europe’.
“An ambitious and coordinated European approach to research and technology infrastructures is crucial for us to remain a global leader in excellent science and in technology innovation,” said Research Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva. “With our new strategy we will ensure that scientists, researchers and innovators across Europe, including startups and scaleups, have easy access to state-of-the-art facilities and tailored services to develop and test their products and services.”
The strategy puts forward a set of actions in five areas:
- Strengthening the European research and technology infrastructures ecosystem by increasing capacities, mobilising investments and better aligning available facilities and services with user needs. The strategy also seeks to maximise the potential of digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Europe’s infrastructures.
- Ensuring simpler and better access to research and technology infrastructures aims to provide a continuum of complementary services for researchers and innovative companies, including startups and scaleups, across the EU. This will support scientific breakthroughs and boost technology development, testing and validation, accelerating the societal uptake and market-readiness of innovations.
- Attracting and cultivating talent in Europe through strong career pathways in research and technology infrastructures, from technicians to scientific leaders. This includes supporting staff to develop new skills and competences and attracting talent from outside of Europe in line with the ‘Choose Europe’ approach.
- Improving and simplifying the governance framework for research and technology infrastructures to support long-term investment decisions and align priorities among the EU Member States and stakeholders. This includes strengthening coordination across funding sources and increasing the impact of public investment.
- Strengthening the international dimension and resilience of research and technology infrastructures through cooperation with strategic partners to address global societal challenges. The Commission will work with Member States to promote the integration of candidate and associated countries in the European Research Area. The strategy also addresses the risk management for infrastructures, particularly those related to access to critical data and facilities, fostering the EU’s sovereignty in critical technologies.
European strategy on research and technology infrastructures
