e-Infrastructure policy development and international cooperation

Specific challenge: To optimise e-infrastructures investments in Europe it is essential to coordinate European, national and/or regional policies and programmes for e-infrastructures, in order to develop complementarities, and promote cooperation between e-infrastructures and activities implementing other EU policies (such as regional, cohesion, industrial, health, employment, or development policy). To promote sound policy development it is essential to ensure stakeholder consultation, monitor take-up and assess the impact of past actions. To promote innovation it is necessary to identify it and spin it out from projects. The cooperation of European e-infrastructures with their non-European counterparts also requires facilitation, to ensure their global interoperability and reach.

Scope: Proposals will support one or more of the following actions:

(1) Dissemination of information on the e-infrastructure programme and of project results, including coordination among projects;

(2) Stakeholder initiatives, including a user forum to provide orientations for e-infrastructure service interoperability and integration;

(3) Policy coordination at European or regional level with the relevant policy makers, including the collection of information needed for policy making as well as the wider use of e-infrastructures for public services and society;

(4) Support to monitoring results and assessing impact of the Horizon 2020 e-infrastructure activities, including through metrics and indicators;

(5) Monitor and analyse the take-up of digital science and e-infrastructures by researchers and possible other users, such as citizens and the education sector, per country, region and research domain or community;

(6) Support to technology transfer from the e-infrastructures projects to the market;

(7) Support to cooperation with developing countries and regions to promote connectivity, global e-infrastructure services, identification of use cases and promising applications of particular interest for developing regions.

Expected impact:  A consistent and dynamic European policy for research infrastructures is developed and is coordinated EU-wide. Support actions provide solid ground for future choices and help in decision making and deployment of e-infrastructures. Impact and results analysis is available in real time and can inform policy choices. Novel technology and services with market potential are identified and spun off to the market. Support measures for international cooperation address specific issues regarding reciprocal use, openness or co-financing of e-infrastructures, as well as ensure Europe's persistent presence and influence in the global e-infrastructure.

Type of action: Coordination and support actions