Robert-Jan SmitsDirector, DG Research, European Commission

Towards aEuropean Strategy for

Research Infrastructures

Opportunities for the Arctic region

Definition of Research InfrastructuresFacilities, resources, and related services used by the scientific community for:

• Conducting leading-edge research• Knowledge transmission, knowledge exchanges and knowledge preservation

Includes:• Major scientific equipment• Scientific collections, archives and structured information• ICT-based infrastructures• Entities of a unique nature, used for research

Research Infrastructures of pan-European relevance provide unique opportunities for:• world-level research • world-level training • stimulating technology & knowledge transfer• ensuring knowledge preservation

… in brief for European Capacity Building 

Research Infrastructures and capacity building 

Excellence and Research Infrastructures 

Europe has a long-standing tradition of excellence in research and its teams continue to lead progress in many fields• However, our centres of excellence often fail to reach critical mass• There is a need to bring resources together

and to build a research and innovation area equivalent to the "common market" 

Research Infrastructuresat European level 

EU Framework Programme 7 for Research and Technological development:•Duration: 2006 - 2013•Budget: 54 billion Euro•Main priority: funding collaborative research between top universities, research centres, enterprises in 10 thematic areas•Capacity building through action on Research Infrastructures

– Optimising the use and development of the best existing Research Infrastructures

– Helping to create new Research Infrastructures 

The European Roadmap for Research Infrastructures

• Mandate from the Council of Ministers,November 2004: need for European Strategy and Roadmap

• Presentation of European Roadmap: October 2006

• About 1000 high-level experts were involved, from every MS and AS, from most fields and user communities, giving the end product credibility and quality.

It is the beginning of an ongoing process

• 35 ambitious projects• Addressing seven (7) fields of Research and

major challenges:

(1) Social Sciences and Humanities (6)(2) Environmental Sciences (7)(3) Energy (3)(4) Biomedical and Life Sciences (6) (5) Material sciences (7)(6) Astronomy, Astrophysics and Nuclear Physics (5)(7) Computer Data Treatment, Particle and Space Physics (1)

• Community produced ideas that will open up new and unexpected areas of knowledge

The European Roadmap for Research Infrastructures (2)

Environmental Sciences

AURORA BOREALIS

EURO-ARGO

EUFAR

LIFEWATCH ICOSEMSO

IAGOS-ERI

7 Pro

jects

Project Description Construction Costs in million Euro

AURORA BOREALIS European Polar Research Icebreaker 360

EMSO Multidisciplinary Seafloor Observatory (5 sites)

150

EUFAR Long Range Tropospheric Aircraft (options: C130 or Airbus 400M)

50-100

EURO-ARGO Ocean Observing buoy system (deployment over 12 years)

76

IAGOS-ERI Climate Change Observation from 20 commercial aircrafts (deployment)

20

ICOS Integrated Carbon Observation System (deployment/operation over 20 years)

255

LIFEWATCH Infrastructure for research on the protection, management and sustainable use of biodiversity

370

Environmental Sciences

These projects offer opportunities for the Arctic region

Global Dimension of Research Infrastructures

• Several of the projects on the Roadmap require a global approach 

• Major players are Australia, China, India, Japan, Russia, South Africa, USA, Canada

• EU will enter into a dialogue with the OECD Global Science Forum for the identification, planning, discussion and monitoring of such projects

• Policy Makers• Researchers• Funders• Industry

The European Commission intends to play an active role under the 7th Framework Programme.

Who is the Roadmap for ?

More is to come

• Implementation of the Roadmap:

some of the projects will be in place in the next 1-3 years

• Strengthening the European Research Area:

Research Infrastructures as majorcornerstones

• Update of Roadmap 2008:

launch of constructive debate

Update of ESFRI Roadmap 2008

• Opportunities for the Arctic region!

• Review existing research infrastructures in Arctic region as regards:

■ output■ efficiency and functioning

■ scale and scope

• Need for an integrated monitoring system of climate change in the Arctic region?

Thanks for your attention

Robert-Jan Smits

Merci

Gracias

DankeGrazie

Bedankt

Teşekkür ederim

Obrigado

Kiitos

Tack

Hvala

Köszönöm