3 d ESFRI S akeholde s Fo um Mee up
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K aków, Poland 10-11 June 2025
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ESFRI
3 d S akeholde s Fo um
Mee up
Repo
K aków, Poland 10-11 June 2025
3 d ESFRI S akeholde s Fo um Mee up
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
O e iew ............................................................................................................. 3
Sus ainabili y con ex ......................................................................................... 4
Session I: D i ing Inno a ion and Sus ainabili y h ough Resea ch In as uc u e
Indus y collabo a ion ................................................................................................ 4
Keyno e: Se ge Fdida P o esso wi h So bonne Uni e si é (SLICES Coo dina o ) .................... 4
Panel Discussion and B eakou Summa y Feedback ................................................................ 5
Session II. Syne gies om di e en Funding Sou ces ................................................ 8
Keyno e: Allen Weeks (DG Ex eme Ligh In as uc u e, ELI) ................................................... 8
Panel Discussion and B eakou Summa y Feedback ................................................................ 9
Conclusions and ecommenda ions .................................................................. 10
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O e iew
The hi d edi ion o he ESFRI S akeholde Fo um mee up ook place on 10-11 June
in K aków, Poland, ollowing hose in B ussels in Sep embe 20221 and Tene i e in
Sep embe 20232. I ocused on wo opics highly ele an o he a ious
s akeholde communi ies, “D i ing inno a ion and sus ainabili y h ough Resea ch
In as uc u e-Indus y collabo a ion” and “Syne gies om di e en unding
sou ces”, ollowed by g oup discussions in i e g oups, whe e pa icipan s
add essed ele an ques ions, also iden i ied in consul a ion wi h s akeholde s.
The e we e common ques ions posed du ing he panel discussions and he
b eakou sessions o each o he wo opics.
RI-indus y collabo a ion:
1) Wha challenges do esea ch in as uc u es ace in s aying a he cu ing-edge
o echnology, and wha a e he needs o join echnology de elopmen wi h
indus y?
a. Wha amewo ks could suppo mee ing hese needs?
2) Wha a e he challenges in accessing esea ch in as uc u es, how can we
suppo esea ch in as uc u es in de eloping ansna ional access schemes,
and wha a e he main ba ie s o indus y use s?
3) Wha a e he bene i s o a esea ch in as uc u e o engage in collabo a ions in
he ecosys em a ound he esea ch in as uc u e, no only o scien i ic ma ke s
bu also o ma ke s in he public and p i a e sec o ?
a. Wha ype o collabo a ions a e mos e ec i e and how can we ensu e
ha his leads o socie al bene i s?
Syne gies om di e en unding sou ces:
1) How can we be e align na ional unding s a egies and EU-le el ins umen s
(e.g. Ho izon Eu ope; ERDF – Eu opean Regional De elopmen Fund; e c.), o
suppo he ull li ecycle o esea ch in as uc u es?
2) Wha a e he mos p omising examples o models o e ec i e syne gy ac oss
unding sou ces ha ha e suppo ed esea ch in as uc u es a na ional o
egional le el? Wha made hem wo k?
3) Gi en ha esea ch in as uc u es inc easingly p o ide se ices o public
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missions and policy goals, how can unding models e ol e o suppo bo h
esea che access and hese b oade socie al oles?
4) How can unding syne gies be used o add ess ch onic unde unding o human
esou ces and ope a ional cos s, pa icula ly in dis ibu ed esea ch
in as uc u es and hei na ional nodes?
5) How could ESFRI help ensu e ha unding syne gies o esea ch
in as uc u es in Eu ope a e planned, p edic able, and s a egic?
Sus ainabili y con ex
Elena Ho e (ESFRI EB), Sus ainabili y o he Resea ch In as uc u es Ecosys em
The impo ance o add essing he long- e m sus ainabili y issue o esea ch
in as uc u es was highligh ed, which has become a key agenda i em pa icula ly
o dis ibu ed esea ch in as uc u es: as na ional nodes ely on na ional-
sus ainabili y and pan-Eu opean hubs ely on he sus ainabili y o he Eu opean
ag eemen s (o ERICs). The di e si y o esea ch in as uc u es, wi h 63 iden i ied
on he ESFRI oadmap 2021, equi es a common e o o gua an ee hei long- e m
sus ainabili y and de elopmen . Resea ch in as uc u es need o de elop a be e
unde s anding o EU and na ional unding sou ces and es ablish a clea
me hodology o calcula ing cos s h oughou hei li e cycle. Membe S a es
should inc ease cohe ence be ween na ional unding s a egies and na ional
esea ch in as uc u e oadmaps and implemen unding moni o ing ins umen s.
Addi ionally, unde s a all le els should p omo e syne gy among unding sou ces
and os e communi y de elopmen by suppo ing coope a ion be ween esea ch
in as uc u es and alignmen wi h EU p io i ies. This includes suppo ing cu iosi y-
d i en esea ch and access o esea ch in as uc u es o op esea che s ac oss
Eu ope, keeping in pa allel a collabo a ion wi h he indus ial sec o s, in pa icula
wi h spin-o o scale-up echnology based en e p ises.
Session I: D i ing Inno a ion and Sus ainabili y h ough Resea ch
In as uc u e Indus y collabo a ion
Keyno e: Se ge Fdida P o esso wi h So bonne Uni e si é (SLICES Coo dina o )
Sus ainabili y is based on h ee key pilla s, i) iden i y, de ining he ision and mission
oge he wi h he communi y de eloping i , ii) a business model o achie e he
sus ainable plan ancho ed on a mul iannual inancial amewo k and iii) a legal
en i y especially o he complexi y o all he di e en unding sou ces. You need
di e en skills, p ocesses and o ganisa ion o se e bo h academia and indus y.
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Fo esea ch in as uc u es you need o unde s and wha kind o se ices you can
mone ise, i.e. who is buying he se ices. You ROI model needs o be adap ed.
P e iously i was a ge ing blue sky esea ch, bu you need o make you model
e ol e o a ac la ge indus y.
La ge indus ial companies ha e a s ock o human capi al and many o which ha e
o be upskilled o e-skilled. Resea ch in as uc u es can become he place o
suppo his skill de elopmen in conjunc ion wi h uni e si ies, as uni e si ies a e
he only place whe e you can ge he quali ica ion o he skills. This is a huge
po en ial o esea ch in as uc u es ha could also be mone ised wi h espec o
indus y. Resea ch in as uc u es a e a ca alys o he knowledge iangle o
educa ion and esea ch and wi h sligh adap a ion o he blue sky esea ch goal o
a ac indus y by b inging business in o his inno a ion iangle.
Panel Discussion and B eakou Summa y Feedback
Mode a ed by Michael A en o (EC)
S a ha e o be con inuously ained, o he wise you ha e esea ch in as uc u es
ha a e simply jus p o iding se ices. We a e o ced o do simul aneous
echnological de elopmen wi h educa ion and aining, a leas o a i s le el o a
i s se o people ha a e able o capi alise on i . Companies don' know how o use
a esea ch o e en a echnology in as uc u e.
The bes way o doing echnology ans e is when you ans e people, you
inc ease he capaci y o companies. A good channel is o me PhD s uden s
wo king wi h indus y because hey can b ing hei knowledge o o he sec o s, o
o he companies and augmen signi ican ly he alue and he impac o he
esea ch, o he knowledge ha he esea ch in as uc u es a e gene a ing.
Somebody om he esea ch in as uc u e can be ansi ioned in o indus y o
wo k h ough he p oblem o engage close wi h he pa ne . I could be a a la e
s age, bu pa icula ly a an ea lie s age le el, almos somebody o be pa achu ed
in om he esea ch in as uc u e wi h ha expe ise. These pe sonnel ha e he
expe ise wi hin he esea ch in as uc u e and i s p oduc o e ing so hey can
engage wi h indus y o build ha us . I he e is some kind o ool o inance
esea ch in as uc u e pe sonnel sho e m s ays in indus y, ha would be e y
bene icial in o de ha la e on he esea ch in as uc u e could eally adap he
o e o he se ice and ailo i mo e o he needs o indus y. Mobili y is no only
he bes way o knowledge ans e and alo isa ion, bu i needs a kind o cycling
and he mobili y should no be a single oad ha goes in one di ec ion. A he s a
o hei esea ch ca ee , we need o gi e he possibili y in pa icula o young
people o hink abou he business pe spec i e.
We need o ain he s a ha may no be capable o coming o a esea ch
in as uc u e, bu hey can go o ou echnological in as uc u es whe e hey ha e
he se up app op ia e o his ype o aining on he echnology de elopmen side.
The e a e di e en ime scales o a esea ch in as uc u e, which has a e y good
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idea and wan s o de elop some hing a he cu ing edge aking a long ime,
compa ed o he se ice ha you wan o p o ide o indus y. A mechanism is
needed o main ain he collabo a ion wi h indus y and upda e he needs om
indus y along he ime o he design and cons uc ion o he esea ch
in as uc u e. Wha e e he esea ch in as uc u e can p o ide he mos
impo an hing is hei expe ise and he knowledge.
Technology in as uc u es need o collabo a e mo e wi h esea ch in as uc u es,
o sha e equipmen , o sha e esou ces and o deal wi h mo e complex
mul idisciplina y challenges. I is he combina ion o esea ch and echnological
in as uc u es ha allow us o ensu e his con inuum o de elopmen . Ei he
esea ch in as uc u es enla ge hei scope o in e en ion and de elop
capabili ies and cha ac e is ics o echnological in as uc u es o esea ch
in as uc u es collabo a e wi h echnological in as uc u es o help inalise a
p oduc o hose companies ha a e no able o do i .
I 's a us -based ela ionship be ween indus y, especially SMEs, and esea ch
in as uc u es, and hei esea che s. I c ea es a i uous ci cle since when you a e
de eloping and imp o ing you se ices o indus y, who would like o wo k o
ce ain s anda ds o p o ocols ha can ha e a posi i e impac on he se ices
esea ch in as uc u es will also deli e o esea che s.
Fo indus y o be embedded in o esea ch in as uc u es we need o ha e
p og ams ha a e suppo ing join p oposals be ween uni e si ies and indus y. We
could hink o some hing like echnology-based access, mo e open o indus y, o
example, o ge hem in ol ed in o he de elopmen o he upg ade o
ins umen a ion. Indus y needs a sa e p o ec ed en i onmen om se e al poin s
o iew. Technology in as uc u es, o cou se, can o e his kind o p o ec ed
en i onmen whe e you can es be o e you in es . We should y o ge a clea
connec ion be ween hese p o ec ed a eas and he esea ch in as uc u e,
because esea ch in as uc u es could do his. P e-comme cial p ocu emen is
some hing ha can help ge ing indus y on boa d opening he possibili y o new
ma ke s o hem.
I businesses a e going o he esea ch cen e o make deep ech esea ch, i
gene a es addi ional business isk. They need o in oduce new p ocesses o he
p oduc ion lines and so on. The echnical isk o he p oduc , o he echnology is
mi iga ed. Howe e , IP is an issue since esea ch in as uc u es a e encou aged o
gene a e such IP, bu indus y wan s o ha e he IP, all o i sel . I indus ial wo ke s
engage in he labo a o y, hey need o de elop he skills o use a labo a o y. This
akes a lo o ime and ime is money in indus y. We need a p og am, on how o
help people o come om esea ch, wi h he esul s, wi h he IP o indus y. People
will be ained, will ha e enough knowledge o in oduce knowledge immedia ely
i hey s a o wo k wi h a company. This idea o ying o ge indus y ellowships
o engage wi h an indus ial pa ne e.g. ia he Ma ie Cu ie ellowships is a p io i y.
I 's a ans e o people om esea ch o indus y. Ma ie Cu ie is a e y good
p og amme, bu i emains a p ojec -based app oach wi h a call imeline which
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doesn' always bene i an SME o s a up, which has o be e y as and e y
e ec i e.
The e appea s o be, un il ecen ly, li le e o om he side o he esea ch
in as uc u e o engage wi h indus y and a lack o expe ise and unde s anding
om an indus ial pe spec i e o e ec i ely engage wi h esea ch in as uc u es.
A p og am called he ILO p og am, Indus y Liaisons o ice s, was unded o he
esea ch in as uc u es o engage close wi h indus y. We should help esea ch
in as uc u es ec ui business de elopmen manage s, o go ou and help
gene a e e enue and aise awa eness. We need o conside c ea ing non-
compe i i e knowledge pla o ms o allow c oss domain expe ise o be sha ed
among esea ch in as uc u es so ha hey can upskill, c ea e alen , help de elop
a ious pe sonnel wi hin esea ch in as uc u es in one domain.
Issues wi h s a e aid can a ise when p o iding s a egic suppo . Focusing suppo
on jus one o wo companies may iola e s a e aid ules, and sp eading limi ed
suppo ac oss many ac o s o en has li le impac . In Canada, collabo a ion among
ede al labs, indus y, and public adminis a o s helps accele a e he p ocess—
om esea ch and in as uc u e de elopmen o ma ke - eady p oduc s—by
os e ing coo dina ed e o s be ween indus y, ede al agencies, and egula o s.
Maybe some hing o he Join Resea ch Cen es pu ing oge he esea ch
labo a o y, esea ch in as uc u e and indus y bu also he egula o y aspec .
INFRATECH calls a e eally e y use ul and in e es ing o all communi ies.
Howe e , he e is a gap be ween he end o he INFRATECH calls and he
implemen a ion o he esul s in eali y. We need o ind some mechanisms o ill in
his gap be ween In a ech and he implemen a ion o he esul s.
The e a e al eady di e en examples o good exis ing collabo a ions be ween
esea ch in as uc u es and indus ial use s, and we should be able o be e
communica e abou hem and make hem known o ou decision make s, unde s
and whole communi ies. Collabo a ion wi h indus ial use s is necessa y because
hese use s can iden i y he necessa y cu ing-edge echnologies. Thanks o his
iden i ica ion, esea ch in as uc u es can de elop and sugges new se ices and
also be e de elop he exis ing ools o esea ch in as uc u es. One o he
challenges is ha esea ch in as uc u es a e no designed o isualisa ion o
ma ke ing o knowledge.
The e is an ob ious lack o en u e capi al and e y li le sys emic suppo o small
and medium sized en e p ises, and his may hampe hei engagemen in o
esea ch, in as uc u e, business and se ices p o ided by esea ch
in as uc u es.
In ce ain domains, he esul s o esea ch in as uc u es and hei se ices a e no
exp essed solely in mone a y means and indus y is no necessa ily he only end
use . I is e y impo an o no e ha esea ch in as uc u es a e in a way e y much
bound no only o scien i ic esul s bu p oduce a lo o socio economic and socie al
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impac . S a ing om he public alue and mission o he esea ch in as uc u es
hey can ha e a oice o neu ali y and con ibu e in a us ed way o public
discussions o he science policy deba e. Resea ch in as uc u es ha e a s ong
ole in ees ablishing us in science in Eu ope and elsewhe e and mobilising an
in e es in science.
The e is a lack o a mapping o esea ch in as uc u es and echnology
in as uc u es and se ices ha hey p o ide. A lack o a landscape o
collabo a ion and a need o le indus y unde s and wha esea ch in as uc u es
ha e o o e wo king on ca aloguing o se ices. To do ha o e a whole landscape
is qui e a challenge. Ou indus y is eluc an o assume many isks bu he sha ing
o in as uc u es, he pu chase o hem, discussing challenges wi h indus y a a
e y ea ly s age is bene icial o bo h indus y and esea ch in as uc u es as hey
e en come up wi h solu ions o hei own p oblems, hey didn' know hey had.
Resea ch in as uc u es need o engage wi h indus y much ea lie a a eal
ounda ional le el, so us and a appo can be buil up.
We need o change he pa adigm ha we had whe e we almos punished esea ch
in as uc u es on he oadmap o being oo close o indus y. Ins ead, we should
adop a mo e lexible, less igid s uc u e ha allows esea ch in as uc u es o
adap as needed.
Session II. Syne gies om di e en Funding Sou ces
Keyno e: Allen Weeks (DG Ex eme Ligh In as uc u e, ELI)
Allen Weeks highligh ed he oo causes o he EU's weak inno a ion pe o mance.
One o he main issues is he lowe p i a e R&D in es men in he EU, wi h
signi ican ly lowe p i a e sec o R&D spending compa ed o global leade s. This
c ea es a subs an ial de ici , as EU businesses in es less in esea ch and
de elopmen . Addi ionally, he public R&D spending in he EU is ela i ely high, bu
i is agmen ed ac oss Membe S a es and lacks su icien EU-wide coo dina ion.
This may lead o duplica ion and missed oppo uni ies o la ge-scale,
b eak h ough p ojec s.
The EU inno a ion ecosys em is agmen ed, wi h limi ed c oss-bo de
collabo a ion among esea che s and inno a o s. A coo dina ed app oach is
lacking o sha ed, la ge-scale esea ch in as uc u es, which hinde s he
de elopmen o a wo ld-leading esea ch and echnological sys em. Mos Membe
S a es canno achie e he necessa y scale in hei inancial o o ganisa ional
capaci ies, which calls o a mo e s a egic coo dina ed app oach wi h a cen al ole
o he EU.
The EU su e s om weake op- ie academia, wi h ewe EU uni e si ies anking
among he wo ld's eli e esea ch ins i u ions. This makes i mo e challenging o
a ac global alen and weak indus y-academia links hinde inno a ion ans e .
The e is he need o a mo e coo dina ed app oach o public R&D spending, wi h a
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ocus on EU-wide p io i ies and be e access o unding oppo uni ies. The
impo ance o de eloping a wo ld-leading esea ch and echnological
in as uc u e, capable o se ing he whole Eu opean ecosys em, and he need o
mo e academic excellence a he op uni e si ies was highligh ed.
Panel Discussion and B eakou Summa y Feedback
Mode a ed by An je Kepple (Eu o-BioImaging Bio-Hub)
The po en ial o exploi ing syne gies be ween ins i u ional, egional, na ional,
Eu opean, and global esea ch in as uc u e unding s eams was explo ed. The
discussions highligh ed he need o be e alignmen be ween na ional unding
s a egies and EU-le el ins umen s, such as Ho izon Eu ope and he Eu opean
Regional De elopmen Fund, o suppo he ull li ecycle o esea ch
in as uc u es. The impo ance o looking beyond adi ional unding sou ces and
explo ing new inancing models, including public-p i a e pa ne ships and co-
in es men om p i a e unds was emphasised. The e is a need o mobilisa ion,
pooling, and p io i isa ion o in es men s o suppo esea ch in as uc u es,
pa icula ly in a eas such as dis ibu ed esea ch in as uc u es and hei na ional
nodes.
Funding models need o e ol e o suppo bo h esea che access and he b oade
socie al oles o esea ch in as uc u es, including hei con ibu ion o public
missions and policy goals. I is impo an o suppo business de elopmen eams
and o he ini ia i es inancially which can help esea ch in as uc u es achie e
hei ull po en ial.
The e is a need o a mo e s a egic and coo dina ed app oach o unding esea ch
in as uc u es, including he use o unding syne gies o add ess ch onic
unde unding o human esou ces and ope a ional cos s. The impo ance o
collabo a ion, exchange o human capi al, wo king oge he o achie e common
goals, and he po en ial o ESFRI o play a key ole in ensu ing ha unding
syne gies o esea ch in as uc u es in Eu ope a e planned, p edic able, and
s a egic we e all highligh ed. Resea ch in as uc u es equi e a mo e coo dina ed
and s a egic app oach o unding, including he use o unding syne gies o
suppo hei ull li ecycle. The e is a need o new unding models ha can
combine public and p i a e unding sou ces and o a g ea e emphasis on
suppo ing he b oade socie al oles o esea ch in as uc u es. Addi ionally, he
panel emphasised he impo ance o quan i ying spending on esea ch
in as uc u es and imp o ing ho izon al communica ion a he le el o he
Minis ies and he Eu opean Commission.
The e is a need o an incen i e om he Eu opean Commission o acili a e in e -
minis e ial mee ings and p omo e unding syne gies, as well as diminishing
di icul ies in c oss-bo de money lows o a egional impac o esea ch
in as uc u es. Analyses o he socio-economic and socie al impac o esea ch
in as uc u es a e equi ed o con ince go e nmen s o hei alue ac oss sec o ial
