Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ENVRINNOV (ENVironment Research infrastructures INNOVation Roadmap)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2024-01-01 do 2025-06-30
ENVRINNOV will co-design, test, and validate a common Innovation Roadmap for the European Environmental and Earth System Research Infrastructures (ENVRI) community. This Roadmap will set a credible pathway for the ENVRI community to establish and operate an ENVRI Innovation Hub (EIH), for the future development of new state-of-the-art technologies and services. The project will also develop the tools, policies, and community necessary for the Roadmap’s successful implementation. To achieve this, ENVRINNOV will: i) Conduct a comprehensive analysis of ENVRI services and technological needs & gaps, and define how to monitor them regularly.
ii) Define, digitalize, and promote the uptake of common ENVRI innovation strategies for new technologies/services development meet emerging needs/gaps. This will be done by defining and testing innovation co-creation mechanisms between ENVRIs, industry and the scientific community and shaping them into common policies. The project will also develop an ENVRI innovation capacity-building programme, a digital platform to enable them, and an uptake strategy to promote them. iii) Engage the ESFRI and R&I environment ecosystems to ensure long-term synergies and complementarities with ENVRI and gather feedback and support for the Roadmap. Finally, the project will plan for the timely and realistic implementation of the Roadmap, by also creating and validating with the ENVRI community an implementation plan, governance model and business model for the EIH. ENVRINNOV’s approach supports ESFRI’s strategic objective to “accelerate the exploitation of EU RIs as knowledge & innovation hubs”. It will help strengthen the European response to the climate crisis and its associated scientific, societal and economic challenges, by increasing the capacity of ENVRIs to respond to them. It will contribute to a more effective EU RI landscape, and support better integration across thematic areas and with the EU Technology Infrastructure landscape.
ii) Define, digitalize, and promote the uptake of common ENVRI innovation strategies for new technologies/services development meet emerging needs/gaps. This will be done by defining and testing innovation co-creation mechanisms between ENVRIs, industry and the scientific community and shaping them into common policies. The project will also develop an ENVRI innovation capacity-building programme, a digital platform to enable them, and an uptake strategy to promote them. iii) Engage the ESFRI and R&I environment ecosystems to ensure long-term synergies and complementarities with ENVRI and gather feedback and support for the Roadmap. Finally, the project will plan for the timely and realistic implementation of the Roadmap, by also creating and validating with the ENVRI community an implementation plan, governance model and business model for the EIH. ENVRINNOV’s approach supports ESFRI’s strategic objective to “accelerate the exploitation of EU RIs as knowledge & innovation hubs”. It will help strengthen the European response to the climate crisis and its associated scientific, societal and economic challenges, by increasing the capacity of ENVRIs to respond to them. It will contribute to a more effective EU RI landscape, and support better integration across thematic areas and with the EU Technology Infrastructure landscape.
During the first reporting period, ENVRINNOV focused on strengthening innovation capacity and collaboration across the environmental Research Infrastructure (ENVRI) community. Key activities included mapping existing innovation services across ENVRIs, conducting a community-wide needs and gaps analysis, and developing a Catalogue of Innovation Services. These efforts also contributed to the creation of the ENVRI Innovation Resources Toolbox, a central resource to support innovation-oriented service development and cross-sector collaboration.
The project also defined a capacity-building strategy to strengthen innovation competences among ENVRIs. This strategy was piloted through the first training session held at EGU 2025. The training brought together RI representatives, researchers, and industry to explore practical approaches to co-innovation.
In addition, ENVRINNOV implemented four pilot cases to test different models of collaboration between environmental Research Infrastructures, research organizations, and industry. These pilots covered a range of innovation activities, including the development of drone-based methane detection systems, co-creation of miniaturized sensor electronics, demonstration of scientific monitoring services using low-cost sensors and drone imaging, and the creation of open-source software tools for data processing. Together, these pilots provided valuable insights into the practical implementation of innovation models, co-design methods, and the potential for partnerships between RIs and industry.
Building on these outcomes, the project launched the development of a long-term Innovation Roadmap for the ENVRI community and began scoping options for the establishment of a sustainable ENVRI Innovation Hub model. These efforts aim to ensure the sustainability of ENVRINNOV results beyond project duration, and enhance the innovation capacity of the ENVRI community, and strengthen collaboration fort he development of future new technologies and services.
The project also defined a capacity-building strategy to strengthen innovation competences among ENVRIs. This strategy was piloted through the first training session held at EGU 2025. The training brought together RI representatives, researchers, and industry to explore practical approaches to co-innovation.
In addition, ENVRINNOV implemented four pilot cases to test different models of collaboration between environmental Research Infrastructures, research organizations, and industry. These pilots covered a range of innovation activities, including the development of drone-based methane detection systems, co-creation of miniaturized sensor electronics, demonstration of scientific monitoring services using low-cost sensors and drone imaging, and the creation of open-source software tools for data processing. Together, these pilots provided valuable insights into the practical implementation of innovation models, co-design methods, and the potential for partnerships between RIs and industry.
Building on these outcomes, the project launched the development of a long-term Innovation Roadmap for the ENVRI community and began scoping options for the establishment of a sustainable ENVRI Innovation Hub model. These efforts aim to ensure the sustainability of ENVRINNOV results beyond project duration, and enhance the innovation capacity of the ENVRI community, and strengthen collaboration fort he development of future new technologies and services.
ENVRINNOV has been working towards enhancing the innovation capacity of European environmental Research Infrastructures (ENVRIs) by developing a comprehensive catalogue of innovation services and conducting a detailed needs and gaps analysis to prioritize technology and service development. In addition, four pilot cases demonstrated successful co-development of new technologies and services, such as drone-based methane detection, highlighting effective collaboration models between RIs, RPOs and industry.
To enhance this, and support innovation upskilling and uptake across the RI community the project also created an Innovation Resources Toolbox and a capacity-building strategy, piloted through the first training session taking place at the EGU 2025 conference. Also, the first version of the ENVRI Innovation Roadmap provides a strategic framework to guide future innovation activities and investments across the network.
Cross-border coordination, synergies and complementarities have been pursued through structured collaboration with other ENVRI and ESFRI projects, as well as mapping and alignment with common innovation priorities in the wider ecosystem.
By working towards embedding innovation as a core element of environmental RIs, ENVRINNOV aims to contribute to the green transition and support societal and economic resilience. For further uptake and success, after the end of the project, recommendations to consider include more targeted policy support such the introduction of specific funding instruments that can support innovation development within RIs, and integration of innovation into RI operations.
To enhance this, and support innovation upskilling and uptake across the RI community the project also created an Innovation Resources Toolbox and a capacity-building strategy, piloted through the first training session taking place at the EGU 2025 conference. Also, the first version of the ENVRI Innovation Roadmap provides a strategic framework to guide future innovation activities and investments across the network.
Cross-border coordination, synergies and complementarities have been pursued through structured collaboration with other ENVRI and ESFRI projects, as well as mapping and alignment with common innovation priorities in the wider ecosystem.
By working towards embedding innovation as a core element of environmental RIs, ENVRINNOV aims to contribute to the green transition and support societal and economic resilience. For further uptake and success, after the end of the project, recommendations to consider include more targeted policy support such the introduction of specific funding instruments that can support innovation development within RIs, and integration of innovation into RI operations.