European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures

The "European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI)"  is a multi-disciplinary forum for the Member States of the European Union and the Associated Countries, for discussing and coordinating projects and general developments in the area of Research Infrastructures (RI), e.g. supercomputers, specific internet architectures (GRID), data bases, virtual libraries, or large-scale research infrastructures in general.

Despite Europe's success so far in planning / establishing / operating large-scale research infrastructures (e.g. CERN), future questions regarding the establishment, continuation, upgrading and closure of specific facilities in Europe can only be answered by a coherent and strategy-led approach to policy-making with regard to Research Infrastructures. Therefore, ESFRI was formed in 2002 at the behest of the European Council. It is not part of the Framework Programme, therefore allocates no funding and does not give "direct recommendations" for funding. Still, as the major European think tank in the area of Research Infrastructures, ESFRI plays a major role in the respective decision-making processes.

The publication of the first "Roadmap for pan-European research infrastructures" in 2006 was a major step in emphasising ESFRI's important strategic role. In November 2008, an updated Roadmap was published.  The current Roadmap consists of 44 unique pan-European research infrastructures in many research fields (humanities, energy, biomedicine, life sciences, materials science, astronomy, physics, etc.). Several projects are already being implemented or are just entering their implementation phase. ESFRI accompanies the implementation of its Roadmap and responds to the rapidly evolving science frontiers by updating the roadmap, if necessary.

ESFRI's delegates are nominated by the Research Ministers of the Member States and Associated Countries, and include a representative of the Commission.

Austrian ESFRI members:

Ms. Anneliese STOKLASKA, Federal Ministry of Science and Research, E-mail:anneliese.stoklaska@bmwf.gv.at

Mr. Daniel WESELKA, Federal Ministry of Science and Research,

E-mail: daniel.weselka@bmwf.gv.at

For more information please visit the ESFRI Website

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