Explained

Research infrastructures are facilities that provide resources and services for research communities to conduct research and foster innovation in their fields. They are crucial enablers of research and innovation and drivers of multidisciplinary and data-intensive science.

In the ERA Policy Agenda 2025-2027, research infrastructures are addressed through a structural policy that combines long-term and recurrent activities with more specific short-term activities. A key highlight will be a long-term EU strategy for research infrastructures, also aiming at a new, strategic approach for EU support. In the short-term, the focus will be on the resilience of research infrastructures in the context of international cooperation, taking into account research security. Horizon Europe will provide, where appropriate, support to the ERA Policy Agenda. The work programme 2026-2027 is expected to focus on the resilience and greening of research infrastructures and on international cooperation, while broadly supporting a long-term strategy for research infrastructures.

A dedicated action in the ERA Policy Agenda 2022-2024 aimed at strengthening sustainability, accessibility, and resilience of research infrastructures in the ERA. Several actions funded under 2023 Horizon Europe calls are supporting access to research infrastructures, opening these infrastructures to transnational users (see HORIZON-INFRA-2023-SERV-01 call).

While the construction and operation of European research infrastructures are in the remit of EU Member States and Associated Countries, Horizon Europe plays a key role in fostering research infrastructures in the ERA by:

supporting the successive phases of the development of new pan-European research infrastructures, from concept to implementation;
opening EU-level research infrastructures to trans-national users, enabling all researchers in Europe and beyond to have access to the best research infrastructures;
supporting the development of innovative cutting-edge scientific instrumentation, software and methods, including through cooperation and co-creation with industry.

For example, the ERIC Forum 2 project aims to structure the cooperation between ERICs, support the implementation of the ERIC Regulation and ERICs services, and consolidate the integration of the ERICs in the ERA by deepening the ERIC Forum’s contribution to research policies. The IBISBA-DIALS project supports the early implementation and the move to a legal structure of the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation and Synthetic Biology Accelerator (EU IBISBA), prioritised by ESFRI. The RITIFI project aims to enhance the structure and integration of research infrastructures and technology infrastructures into European R&I, fostering engagement with users, managers and policymakers. The canSERV project brings under the same umbrella oncology research infrastructures and provides access to cutting edge cancer research services across Europe. The RADIOBLOCKS project is applying cutting-edge technology to enhance the entire data chain, from receiver to final output in radio astronomy, with the development of novel detectors and components, digital receivers, transport and correlator, and data (post)processing that can be shared by several research infrastructures.

Resources and tools

CORDIS results pack on research infrastructures in Europe

Highlights the work of 13 Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe funded projects that, through the support of research infrastructures, are helping to advance scientific knowledge and technological progress supporting European society in facing current and future challenges.

ESFRI Research Infrastructures Portfolio

Online tool that provides up-to-date and easily usable information on ESFRI research infrastructures for scientific and stakeholders community. Supported by Horizon Europe project StR-ESFRI3.

ERIC Forum Toolkit

Answers practical questions relevant to ERICs and includes various documents and templates that can be used as inspiration or as an example of a best practice. By Horizon Europe project ERIC Forum 2.0.

RItrain Learning Platform

Training resources for research infrastructures managers on issues related to governance, management, organisation, financial, socio-economic impact analysis, and internationalisation of Research Infrastructures and Core Facilities. By Horizon Europe project RItrainPlus.