How can companies make better use of Europe’s Research & Technology Infrastructures — and what can infrastructure providers do to make access easier?
RISEnergy recently brought together representatives from the European Commission, research infrastructure providers and an SME user for an internal webinar dedicated to good practices for industry access to Research & Technology Infrastructures (RTIs).
The discussion focused on practical experiences of working with industrial users and on some of the barriers that can make access to research infrastructures difficult, particularly for SMEs and start-ups.
Guillaume Milot from the European Commission introduced the Charter of Access for Industrial Users to Research and Technology Infrastructures, an initiative aimed at improving the conditions under which companies can access European research and technology infrastructures.
Practical experiences were also shared by The Cyprus Institute, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and ENEA, together with the perspective of Heliosync as an industrial user.
Several recurring themes emerged from the exchange. Participants highlighted the importance of making available infrastructures and access opportunities more visible to industry, providing hands-on technical support and designing access procedures that take industrial timelines and operational realities into account. The discussion also underlined the value of sustained relationships between infrastructure providers and companies beyond individual access projects.
Share your good practices
Research & Technology Infrastructure providers are encouraged to support the European Commission’s work by endorsing the Charter of Access for Industrial Users and by sharing examples of successful industry access through the EU Best Practice Questionnaire.
These contributions can help identify effective approaches across Europe while increasing the visibility of participating research and technology infrastructures.