Since 2022, Antje Keppler from Euro-BioImaging has represented the ERIC Forum. This November, Forum partners gathered to appoint a new Chair and Vice-Chair. In this interview, Dr Keppler reflects on her experience and welcomes the incoming Chair, while sharing her perspective on the key challenges that lie ahead.
Looking back, what key lessons or experiences will you take from your time as Chair of the ERIC Forum?
Serving as Chair of the ERIC Forum has been a deeply rewarding experience — both professionally and personally. Over the past years, I have had the privilege to work closely with colleagues across all scientific domains, Member States, and the European Commission, and this has given me a profound appreciation of how diverse yet cohesive the ERIC community has become. Each ERIC operates in a distinct field, shaped by different scientific cultures, governance models, and user communities. Yet together, we embody a uniquely European approach to research — one that values collaboration, openness, and long-term service to science and society. A central lesson from my time as Chair is that the collective voice of the ERICs is a great strength. When we coordinate our messages and act together, we are able to engage with policymakers in a constructive and credible way, ensuring that the needs of research infrastructures are visible in the European agenda. I am also proud of how the Forum has continued to grow into a trusted partner for the European Commission, ESFRI, and the ERIC Committee, providing input to policy discussions on sustainability, access, and governance of large-scale RIs. On a more personal level, I take great satisfaction in seeing the Forum evolve beyond a coordination platform into a true community — one that not only exchanges experience but also shares values and ambitions.
What do you think are the most significant challenges the new Chair will need to address?
The new Chair and Vice-Chair will take office at a time of transition — not only for the ERIC Forum, but for the broader European research landscape. The discussions around the next Framework Programme will shape the conditions under which research infrastructures will operate in the years to come. Ensuring that ERICs remain central in this evolving policy and funding context will be a key task. Another continued challenge will be to further strengthen the role of ERICs within the emerging concept of Research and Technology Infrastructures (RTIs). While this broader framing has the potential to connect scientific excellence with innovation and industrial deployment, it also risks diluting the distinctive value of ERICs as publicly funded, open, and mission-driven infrastructures. The Forum will therefore need to continue its careful advocacy to ensure that complementarity is achieved.
Closely related to this, sustainability remains another pressing challenge — financial, environmental, and human. Many ERICs are facing increasing operational demands and expectations for efficiency, while also navigating the uncertainties of project-based funding and rising personnel costs. Strengthening the dialogue with Member States on long-term funding models, aligning with the principles of the European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda, and showcasing the societal and economic returns on investment will be essential steps forward.
What opportunities do you see on the horizon for the ERIC Forum?
I believe that the ERIC Forum stands at the threshold of a new phase in its development. Looking ahead, the new EU Strategy for Research and Technology Infrastructures offers an important opportunity to foster the role of ERICs as integral components of Europe’s knowledge system. The growing focus on interoperability, digital transformation, and cross-disciplinary data use also opens new avenues for its collaboration with the EOSC, technology infrastructures, and thematic science clusters. The Forum can serve as a bridge across these communities — connecting research, technology, and innovation in a way that reflects Europe’s unique strength in distributed, collaborative infrastructures.
What advice would you give to ERICs as they navigate the current funding and policy environment?
My main advice would be to remain open and strategic in their service offers, visible in the ERA and beyond, and forward-looking when it comes to their business model. The European research and innovation landscape is changing rapidly — with growing expectations on impact, efficiency, and responsiveness to societal challenges. ERICs must continue to demonstrate how their services and data directly contribute to addressing these challenges, while preserving the principles of scientific excellence and openness that define their mandate. I would also encourage each ERIC to actively engage in the dialogue on the future of research infrastructures — not only through the Forum, but also within national and European consultations shaping FP10. It is crucial that we make our voices heard early and clearly, especially on issues of long-term funding and the recognition of ERICs as stable, strategic components of Europe’s scientific fabric.
Finally, collaboration and mutual support remain key. The success of the ERIC model depends on our ability to learn from one another, share good practices, and coordinate where it matters most — from sustainability to data management and training. If we continue to work in that spirit of openness and partnership, I am confident that the ERIC community will not only adapt to the evolving policy landscape but also help shape it for the better.
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