Access to research infrastructure services to enable R&I addressing industry needs in priority areas

Expected Outcome: Projects are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Research infrastructures have improved their attractiveness for industry so that they can sustainably extend their user base. Where appropriate, future continuum with technology infrastructures will be facilitated; Researchers and innovators have more efficient access to the best research infrastructures available to conduct industry-driven research and foster innovation, irrespective of location, through a single-entry point access portal, integrated or interoperable catalogues of services and converging access conditions and selection procedures; Breakthrough and leading-edge research and innovation are enabled by advanced research infrastructure services that are made available to a wider user community in the targeted areas; A new generation of researchers and innovators is trained to optimally exploit all the essential tools for industry-driven research and innovation with due attention to early-stage career researchers and innovators and to researchers and innovators from widening countries; Raised awareness in industry of relevant research infrastructures facilities and services, optimised use of the infrastructures by a broader user community and increased impact and sustainability of these infrastructures. Scope: This topic aims at providing trans-national access (on-site or remote) and/or virtual access to integrated and customised research infrastructure services for industry-driven research to foster innovation in each of the target areas listed below, offered by complementary state-of-the-art research infrastructures. Access should target users from industry (notably SMEs, startups and scaleups) or from academia when collaborating with industry. Proposals should adhere to the guidelines and principles of the European Charter for Access to Research Infrastructures[1] and to the principles of the Charter of access for industrial users to research and technology infrastructures [ref to be added once published, checking final title]. Access also includes ad hoc users’ training and scientific and technical support (see Specific Features for Research Infrastructures). In this context, appropriate support to the technical and scientific staff that will facilitate access by non-expert users from industry should be considered. The main goal of this topic is access provision to existing services: this should be clearly reflected by the proposed activities and the allocated resources. The development and customisation of services and/or modality of access, relevant to the areas, will also be supported, provided the resulting services are opened and offered already under the actions (short term R&D) and that the long-term sustainability of such services is ensured by the participant research infrastructures. Where applicable, proposals should pay due attention to shorten the ‘time to access’ for users from industry. Data management (and related ethics issues), in line with FAIR[2] principles, as well as the connection of digital services (e.g. data services) to the European Open Science Cloud and interoperability with other Common European Data Spaces[3], should be addressed where relevant. Proposals should make available to researchers a portfolio of complementary research infrastructure services of European interest[4], including data services, and customised workflows to enable R&I addressing the targeted area. Proposals should include at least one ESFRI Landmark or European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) as beneficiary[5]. In case of a distributed ERIC, as an alternative to the ERIC participating as a beneficiary, a legal entity that is hosting ERIC facilities, resources or related services may participate as a beneficiary[6]. Proposals should include an outreach and engagement plan to actively advertise their services, to targeted communities from industry (notably SMEs, startups and scaleups) or from academia when... Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal (CC BY 4.0).