Brief conclusions

The fifth European conference on Research Infrastructures organised under the French Presidency of the European Union :

• Recognised the importance of high quality, internationally open, Research Infrastructures (RIs) to extend the frontiers of knowledge, carry out top quality research, train the next generation of top researchers and support industrial innovation.

• Highlighted the importance of supporting the use, the construction and the upgrade of RIs in the frame of the current socio-economic situation, as an engine for economic recovery and development of the knowledge economy.

• Recognized the ESFRI work, as well as the very positive and continuing developments in this field since the first conference in Strasbourg 2000, reflected in Trieste 2003, Nottingham 2005 and Hamburg 2007.

• Recognised the importance of the ESFRI roadmap as well as of national roadmaps to develop joint, medium to long term, visions and to support prioritisation of actions. In this context, the ESFRI 2008 update of the European roadmap was presented and its contribution to the balanced and integrated development of ERA was recognised as a key aspect.

• Reiterated that Member States - as well as the European Union acting as catalyser - are key actors today for the emergence and strengthening of strategic pan-European research infrastructures. Long term commitments of Member States and sound management, as well as favourable fiscal and legal conditions were considered to be key sustainability factors.

• Noted the need to develop multidisciplinary approaches within and through RIs, meaning also the need to develop revolutionary approaches in science activities (in particular with the adoption of the e-infrastructures), and to efficiently manage human capacities (RIs are the place where young scientists – the future European experts - meet).

• Noted the importance of intensively using and better coordinating current Research Infrastructures to widen the transnational access and to develop links between RIs and high-tech industries, RIs and competitive clusters, RIs and society (e.g. related to ageing, health issues, environment) as well as the needs for improving these links (including education of citizens, better links with industry, contact with decision makers in other fields than research).

• Highlighted the increasing importance of e-infrastructures (Grids, GEANT, HPC, scientific data repositories). The management of data as well as the long term preservation of and access to scientific data is also a growing concern; noted that education and human networking are key success factors for the efficient use of these infrastructures.

• Reminded the need to overcome the difficulties in the implementation of the ESFRI Roadmap. In particular, a "win-win" approach between the different stakeholders needs to be developed (following the so-called “broader” approach used for ITER, and involving also smaller and New Member Countries). In this perspective, the role of the EC and ESFRI should be strengthened for assuring a common and transparent framework for discussions and a balanced approach for political decisions, as well as for the longer term financial sustainability of the open-access attracting the best researchers in the world.

• Last but not least, concluded on the need to develop a favourable environment in Europe for the implementation of pan-European Research Infrastructures e.g. through VAT exemption as proposed, within the ERIC proposal.


BRIEF CONCLUSIONS

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