Research Infrastructures as knowledge hubs and pillars of competitiveness

Two-thirds of the EU’s economic growth derives from research and innovation, accounting for 15% of all productivity gains in Europe¹⁰ 10. The economic rationale for public RDI finding and its impact, Brussels 2017
https://ri-links2ua.eu/object/document/326/attach/KI0117050ENN_002.pdf. European Research Infrastructures are an essential pillar of this development. They play a key role in the advancement of knowledge and technologies. They improve the efficiency and effectiveness of research and contribute to the overall advancement of the European innovation ecosystem. However, breakthroughs in basic research are almost always unexpected and often consist of combining previously known knowledge in a new and innovative way, often across disciplines. The relationship between research and innovation – and therefore with Research Infrastructures – is diverse and often complex; there simply is no one-size-fits-all model. The time between a breakthrough in basic research and application varies and is very difficult to predict. Efforts must nevertheless be made to shorten the gap between scientific advances and their application in practice.

RIs must be viewed not as stand-alone installations, but as part of the broader system contributing to the longer-term development of research and innovation. This system is not only capable of integrating RIs in and across scientific domains but must increasingly create knowledge and innovation hubs around state-of-the-art RIs, attracting high-level expertise and creativity and providing space for sharing knowledge and ideas. Continued support towards the development of a European Research Infrastructure system is a strategic asset, fostering both breakthrough discoveries and incremental innovation.

Research Infrastructures also constitute a powerful resource for industry – often a prerequisite for collaboration between industry and academia. Participation in infrastructure projects also provides opportunities for European researchers and European industry to drive cuttingedge technology development. The potential for developing spin-offs from the technological advances is also significant and can be supported in future by better links with the European Innovation Council.

In addition, RIs provide unique training opportunities and play an important role in the education and upskilling of new generations of scientists, engineers and data professionals. Scientists visiting RIs receive technical support and training, acquiring new skills in the use of advanced technologies, data analysis and quality control.