Intergovernmental organization to coordinate the European roadmap for large RIs

26 participant countries44 RIs on the Roadmap 20107 Themes

– Social Sciences and Humanities (5 RI) – Environmental Sciences (10 RI)– Energy (4 RI)– Biological and Medical Sciences (10 RI)– Materials and Analytical Facilities (6 RI)– Physical Sciences and Engineering (8 RI)– E-infrastructures (PRACE)

European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures

Mission

The mission of ESFRI is to support a coherent and strategy-led approach to policy-making on new and existing pan-European and global research infrastructures. ESFRI facilitates multilateral initiatives leading to the better use and development of research infrastructures, acting as an incubator for decision-making processes.

EU MandateCompetitiveness Council Conclusions, 25-26 November 2004:“In the context of developing research infrastructures of European interest, the Council of the European Union welcomes the development of a strategic roadmap for Europe in the field of research infrastructures and the role of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) in this context.This roadmap should describe the scientific needs for Research Infrastructures for the next 10-20 years, on the basis of a methodology recognized by all stakeholders, and take into account input from relevant inter-governmental research organizations as well as the industrial community. The Council stresses that this roadmap should identify vital new European research infrastructures of different size and scope … as well as existing ones that need to be upgraded.”

Competitiveness Council Conclusions, 21-22 May 2007:“The Council recommends that ESFRI updates this roadmap at regular intervals in order to cope with the rapid evolution of scientific and technological needs.”

Support to Roadmap Implementation

• Selection of Research Infrastructures for the Roadmap• Roadmaps 2006, 2008, 2010• Roadmap Implementation Report 2009• European Conferences on Research Infrastructures• National Roadmaps and related funding mechanisms• Framework Programme tools in support of new RIs• Structural funds• European Investment Bank: risk-sharing finance facility• The European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC)• E-Infrastructures and digital repositories• Attention to regional dimension

10 RIs on the ENV Roadmap 2008EISCAT-3D AURORA BOREALIS

EURO-ARGO

EMSO

IAGOS LIFEWATCH

SIAEOS

Specific characters of ENV RIs

• Distributed infrastructures• Regional dimension• Highly-variable national implementation levels• Focus on monitoring, surveillance, alert• Long-term perspective for data collection and archive• Expect a „data tsunami“ • Growing need for data assimilation and mining• Growing need for e-infrastructures and high-end computing• Different funding mechanisms and agencies

National roadmapsfor RI

EU Implementation