ERA-Perspectives European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI )

1. ERA-Perspectives European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) Beatrix Vierkorn-Rudolph, ESFRI chair NordForsk Seminar, Brussels, February 28th 2012

2. Outline • About ESFRI: mandate and mission • ESFRI´ s contribution to the ERAC-opinion • Significance of Research Infrastructures within the ERA • Horizon 2020/ Funding • ESFRI projects hosted by northern Member States/ Associated Countries

3. Mission of ESFRI The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures was founded in 2002 by the Research Ministers of the Member States and the European Commission To support a coherent and strategy-led approach to policy-making on new and existing pan-European and global Research Infrastructures (RI); To facilitate multilateral initiatives leading to the better use and development of RI, at EU and international level.

4. The Roadmap Mandate The Competitiveness Council of the EU mandated ESFRI on November 2004 to develop a strategic roadmap in the field of RI for Europe The ESFRI roadmap identifies new pan-European Research Infrastructures (RIs) or major up-grades to existing ones, corresponding to the needs of European research communities in the next 10 to 20 years, regardless of possible location First Roadmap in 2006 Update in Dec 2008 A stimulation and incubator role Update in Dec 2010

5. Research Infrastructure (RI) • Definition (I) contribute to the implementation ofthe Europe 2020 Strategy and its Innovation Union Flagship Initiative Pan-European Research Infrastructures, new or existing, must provide: scientific and technological cutting edge and managerial excellence clear pan-European added value top-level services open access through international competition on the basis of excellence

6. Research Infrastructures are facilities, resources or services of a unique nature that have been identified by European research communities to conduct top-level activities in all fields; they could single-sited, distributed or virtual Distributed Common legal form; single management board RIs are a guarantee for producing new ideas and developments which turn into innovation and in a longer term into jobs • Research Infrastructure • Definition (II)

7. ERA-Mission of ESFRI «  to also contribute towards supporting the implementation and monitoring of progress of the Innovation Union initiative and to provide input, as appropriate, to the development of a proposal on the ERA framework « (Competitiveness Council, May 2011)

8. Research Infrastructures within the ERA Realizing excellent pan-European RI are a very effective approach to overcome fragmentation and duplication of research activities within the ERA. By 2015, Member States together with the Commission should have completed or launched the construction of 60% of the priority European Research Infrastructures currently identified by ESFRI”, Commitment 5, Innovation Union Flagship Initiative

9. ERA on-line questionnaire confirms particular relevance of RI Significance of RI within the ERA was recently confirmed by the outcome of the on-line questionnaire for the ERA Framework: Nearly 70% of the respondents are of the opinion that RI are (very) important as regards the completion of the ERA.

10. ESFRI Success Stories From more than 260 proposals, 50 projects have been identified through several review stages between 2006 and 2010 Projects meeting the “grand challenges” Update in 2010 in the areas Energy and Biological and Medical Sciences (6 new projects) 10 of the projects are in theimplementation phase and further 16 are proceeding towardsthe implementation phase until end of 2012

11. ESFRI Projects

12. Major bottlenecks in the implementation process • Lack of (sustainable) funding • Many projects struggle with and need guidance in legal matters (e.g. Intellectual Property rights); • European research infrastructure consortium (ERIC) ERIC regulation must be incorporated in European Economic area (EEA) agreement. • Lack of coordination between various levels and actors

13. Major bottlenecks (II) Need of increased cooperation • on regional and international level • with industry. Need of increasedcoordination between • pan-European RI and JPIs • other European research organisations (such as, EIROForum, EUROHORCS, NordForsk etc.) and JRC.

14. Horizon 2020 H 2020 will be the most important financial instrument to realize the ERA on EC level. However, more than 95 %of fundingfor RI are at present providedby the Member States/ Associated countries. The estimated annual operating costs of large RI are two billion Euros. The actual financial crisis requires new funding approaches, may be also a stronger involvement of the EC ( implemen-tation phase, better coordination with structural funds).

15. ESFRI’s Action Plan • Monitoring scientific developments and emerging research • challenges • Development of an evaluation methodology for pan- European Research Infrastructures; • Development of closer cooperation between RIs and Joint • Programming Initiatives, JTIs e.g.; • Building up cooperation with European industry; • Addressing the issue of socio-economic impacts; • Promoting greater regional and international cooperation; • Supporting and promoting the use and development of • e-infrastructures.

16. ESS • European Spallation Source ESSwill bethe world’s most powerful long-pulse source of neutrons at 5MW. Its built-in upgradeability will make it the most cost-effective top tier source for the next 40 years. A genuine pan-European facility, it will serve a community of 5,000 researchers across many areas of science and technology. Construction costs: 1478 M€ Operation costs: 110M€/year Decommissioning: 300 M€ Steering committee established, negotiations on funding ongoing, fundamental decisions of legal form and statutes being prepared. Host countries: Sweden, Denmark

17. CESSDA • Council of European Social Science Data Archives CESSDAis adistributed Research Infrastructure providing and facilitating access to high quality data and supports their use. It includes 20 social science data archives in 20 European countries. Collectively they serve over 30.000 researchers, providing access to more than 50.000 data collections per annum. Construction costs: 30 M€ Operation costs: 3 M€/year Decommissioning: not applicable Steering committee established, will go forERIC application soon. Host Country: Norway

18. ICOS • Integrated Carbon Observation System ICOS is adistributedResearch Infrastructure for standardised long-term high precision monitoring of atmospheric and oceanic greenhouse gas concentrations, ecosystem fluxes and essential carbon cycling variables. Construction costs: 130 M€ Operation costs: 36 M€/year Decommissioning: not applicable Expected host country: Finland

19. SIOS • Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System The goal of SIOS is to establish an Observational Research Infrastructure for the Arctic Earth System, integrating studies of geophysical, chemical and biological processes from the research and monitoring platforms. It corresponds to a need concerning climate change. Construction costs: 50 M€ Operation costs: 10 M€/year Decommissioning: not applicable Expected host country: Norway

20. Thank you for your attention.