The first ERIC Forum Meeting 2022 took place virtually on 26-27 January. It brought together more than 145 participants from the Forum’s key stakeholders, including the European Commission, ministries of research, ESFRI, Research Infrastructures (RIs) and ERIC communities, and more. 

The two-days event was divided into open and closed sessions:

  • Open sessions: Enriched by the participation of policy makers both at EU (European Commission) and national levels (ministries), the open sessions stimulated interesting discussions between the ERIC Forum and its main stakeholders about ERICs’ sustainability and their role in the ERA (European Research Area).
  • Closed sessions: ERIC Forum General Assembly and ERIC Forum Implementation Project’s General Assembly were held, attended by the ERIC Forum members only.

 

Long-term sustainability of ERICs and their role in the EU Research and Innovation arena

The first session brought together representatives from the French, Czech and Slovenian Presidencies of the EU Council, the European Commission, and the EGERIC (Expert Group on the ERIC Regulation) to present and tackle relevant aspects for the long-term sustainability of ERICs.

Representatives from the French and Czech ministries highlighted the objectives and plans of their respective Presidencies, as well as the priorities with respect to the European Research panorama and RIs in particular. It was followed by the outcomes and recommendations of the RIs’ session for the ERA organized in the frame of the Slovenian Presidency in October 2021.

An overview on the main conclusions of the EGERIC Report, assessing the implementation of the ERIC regulation, were also presented. The EGERIC report is the basis for the European Commission’s consultation process on the implementation of the ERIC Regulation. The prospective activities in that regard were presented by Apostolia Karamali from DG RTD, who also highlighted the upcoming policy developments including the ERA policy agenda, RIs’ call in Horizon Europe, and RI work programme for 2023-2024.

 

ERIC Forum and its partners

The second session was focused on highlighting the potential collaboration opportunities that the ERIC Forum could establish with key players in the European R&I and science policy panoramas, including the EOSC Association and EIROForum. The exchange of knowledge and best practices about core topics for RIs’ sustainability was also addressed.

The meeting was also the occasion to announce the publication of the ERIC Forum policy brief on the ‘Impact of big science on the research ecosystem’. The report highlights, among others, the role of RIs and ERICs in the European research development and innovation ecosystem. Case studies from ERICs and established ERICs illustrating innovations that address key challenges were also showcased.

 

Conclusions from the ERIC Forum Meeting 2022

It is demonstrated that ERICs are a success story in the ecosystem of Research Infrastructures. Their strong engagement in the ERIC Forum consolidates this unique platform, where best practices and common problems are shared, coordinating responses to global challenges, and providing a unique voice to engage with the EC, other associations and stakeholders for the implementation of ERA.

Francisco Colomer, chair ERIC Forum

 

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Meeting agenda is available here.

MEETING PRESENTATIONS:

  • Introduction to the ERIC Forum Meeting 2022 (Francisco Colomer, ERIC Forum Chair): here.
  • Long-term sustainability of ERICs and their role in EU R&I arena:
    • Views and Plans of the French Presidency of the EU Council (Elena Hoffert – French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation): here.
    • Views and Plans of the Czech Presidency of the EU Council (Levák Lukáš, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports): here
  • Key conclusions of the EGERIC report (Carlo Rizzuto, EGERIC Chair): here.
  • Upcoming policy developments (Apostolia Karamali, DG RTD): here.
  • Setting the scene: Slovenian EU Presidency Conclusions (Jana Kolar, ESFRI): here
  • ERIC Forum and its partners: Working together towards addressing key challenges in R&I:
    • ERIC Forum and the EOSC Association – Perspectives for a closer collaboration (Ute Gunsenheimer, EOSC Association): here
    • ERIC Forum and EIROForum – joint efforts of Research Infrastructures for a stronger ERA (Francesco Sette, EIROForum): here.
    • ERIC Forum Report – Scaling-up research projects through ERICs: Impact of big science on the research ecosystem (Golbahar Pahlavan, ECRIN): here.