EuroRis-Net+: The new project supporting the activities of the European Network of RIs NCPs
The European Network of Research Infrastructures (RIs) National Contact Points (NCPs), established by the EuroRIs-Net project four years ago, will continue its activities to support the RIs stakeholders and will contribute to the implementation of the RIs programme. This will be achieved through the new project EuroRIs-Net+, which started on the 1st of October 2011 and is being funded by DG INFSO. The EuroRIs-Net project will have its final workshop and closure meeting on the 11th-12th of October 2011 in Athens, Greece where the discussion will be focused on current challenges that RIs address - being a key component of the ERA and the Innovation Union – and the contribution of RIs stakeholders (including the RIs NCP network) in this direction. Through an open dialogue with RIs stakeholders, EuroRIs-Net will highlight the added value achieved and the opportunities emerging through good practice exchanges among RIs NCPs and RIs policy structures at the national level as well as at round table discussions with national / regional authorities and RIs operators. Discussion will focus on the necessity to support synergy and complementarity in RIs’ funding linked to the smoother and more viable implementation and usage of RIs, as well as an increase in regional competitiveness. Case studies from national / regional practices will be presented to demonstrate successful paradigms. The international experience will be presented though a relevant case study from an RIs NCP from the ICPCs of our network. In that sense, the workshop will provide a dialogue setting for the creative exchange of information among RIs stakeholders, mainly focusing on RIs operators, national and regional programme managers, scientific communities and the broader Innovation and Technology sector, highlighting the need for further collaboration and exchange of best practices already followed in successful RIs projects. The role of e-Infrastructures will be also analysed, in terms of their horizontal impact to RIs’ faster implementation and usage. Discussions will focus on how successful implementations of RIs can create ‘research market’ opportunities for industry (in parallel to the need for good practice adaptations, also at the NCP level), as well as on human capital, training, and innovation as an important accelerator of results. The meeting will take place in the premises of the National Hellenic Research Foundation. While participation in the workshop is free of charge, there is a limited number of available places so we encourage you to register as soon as possible. More information on the venue, registration and agenda can be found on: www.euroris-net.eu/workshop2011/. The new project EuroRIs-Net+ The main objective of EuroRIs-Net+ is to provide value-added services, through the Network of NCPs for Research Infrastructures. These services will facilitate transnational cooperation of NCPs, promoting the effective implementation of the RIs programme, highlighting opportunities offered by Research Infrastructures - at the European and international level - and their impact on e-science. The Network will develop observatory functions for EC and national Research Infrastructures policies, programmes and initiatives, supported by an efficient dialogue framework between the RIs NCPs and the RIs ecosystem, and a sustainable and comprehensive RIs Knowledge Repository. The high level services will be provided to the Network’s clients (RI scientific communities, industry and public stakeholders) and the promotion of RIs NCPs’ best practices will be supported through training, pairing and helpdesk activities targeted at all RIs NCPs, whereas the development of systematic partnering activities will increase collaboration among RIs stakeholders. Moreover, the network will implement targeted dissemination activities to improve the visibility of the project’s services and the RIs programme, contributing to the broader use of Research Infrastructures. An interactive platform for communication among the Network, EC, RIs policy bodies and RIs stakeholders will constructively support policy design through a dialogue among RIs ecosystem “actors”. This will not only facilitate the diffusion of RIs policy bodies’ recommendations to the relevant public authorities but will also permit the collection and analysis of integrated data on countries’ participation in Research Infrastructures, thus supporting, wherever possible, their integration with the ERA. Information about the new project will become available at the same website www.euroris-net.eu
Countries
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, United Kingdom