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What are research infrastructures?
A Research Infrastructure (RI) is a network of facilities, resources, or services that supports researchers in conducting high-quality science across various disciplines. RIs provide access to tools, expertise, and services essential for scientific progress, fostering innovation and collaboration at national and international levels.
- EMPHASIS is a pan-European distributed Research Infrastructure for Plant Phenotyping.
- The European Commission defines RIs as ‘facilities that provide resources and services for research communities to conduct research and foster innovation’.
- EMPHASIS, as a distributed RI, has its facilities distributed over multiple countries. The Coordination Office serves as the central hub that brings together and coordinates the activities of national partners across Europe.
ESFRI - European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures
The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) is a strategic body established by the European Union in 2002. Its primary role is to identify and support the development of world-class RIs in Europe, ensuring long-term investment and collaboration across member states. ESFRI creates the ESFRI Roadmap, which lists priority RIs deemed essential for Europe’s scientific and societal challenges.
EMPHASIS joined the ESFRI Roadmap in 2016 as an ESFRI Project and aims to shift to a Landmark status by 2026.
ERIC - European Research Infrastructure Consortium
A European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) is a legal framework established by the EU to enable the creation and operation of pan-European RIs. ERICs:
- Facilitate collaboration among countries by pooling resources and expertise.
- Focus on specific research areas, such as biomedicine, social sciences, or climate studies.
- Are governed by member states and operate as international entities.
Belgium, as the statutory seat for EMPHASIS, has the EMPHASIS ERIC Step 1 application in 2024 to obtain the ERIC status to be recognized as a legal international entity.
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