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. A stimulation and incubator role
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 of the 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 Infrastructure
Definition (II)
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

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 the implementation phase and further 16 are proceeding towards the implementation phase until end of 2012

11. ESFRI Projects Area Roadmap 2010 Implemented
Social Science and Humanities (SSH) 2 3
Environmental Sciences (ENV) 9
Biological and Medical Sciences (BMS) 13
Energy 6 1
Engineering, Physical Sciences, Materials and Analytical Facilities (EPS) 8 5
E-Infrastructures

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 increased coordination 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 funding for RI are at present provided by 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. European Spallation Source
ESS
European Spallation Source
ESS will be the 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. Council of European Social Science Data Archives
CESSDA
Council of European Social Science Data Archives
CESSDA is a distributed 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
researchers, providing access to more than
data collections per annum.
Construction costs: 30 M€
Operation costs: 3 M€/year
Decommissioning: not applicable
Steering committee established, will go for ERIC application soon.
Host Country: Norway

18. Integrated Carbon Observation System
ICOS
Integrated Carbon Observation System
ICOS is a distributed Research 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. Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System
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.