The ERIC Forum General Assembly and Final Meeting of the ERIC Forum Implementation Project was held online and onsite in Brussels on 11-12 October 2022. It brought together 61 participants from 35 different organisations (the ERIC community, policy makers and key stakeholders) to discuss, among other topics, Research Infrastructures’ visibility in national landscapes, engagement with national policy makers, vision for 2023 and beyond.

 

The first session of the event focused on highlighting the perspectives of different stakeholders – including the ERIC community, the European Commission, ESFRI and EIROForum – on the vision and role of Research Infrastructures for 2023. Among others, it tackled the benefits, opportunities, lessons learned, as well as the future challenges and key priorities of the ERIC Forum. In that regard, Apostolia Karamali from DG RTD mentioned that ”the ERIC Forum is a success, it has been useful and contributes in supporting policy analysis”. 

 

The second session of the event focused on the visibility of Research Infrastructures in national landscapes, including the recognition of RIs by the users, scientific communities, universities and other research organisations. Among other aspects, it tackled RIs’ experiences and challenges of reaching out and cooperating with key national and European stakeholders, decision makers and funding agencies.

 

Moreover, the event showcased the main achievements of the ERIC Forum and the Implementation project, including the various reports developed with best practices that support ERICs and contribute to their development. It was also an opportunity to announce the release of the 3rd ERIC Forum policy report focused on ERICs’ socio-economic impact assessment. 

 

The program is available here