Consolidation of the European Research Infrastructure Landscape

4th ESFRI Stakeholder Forum Meetup advances discussions on access, resilience and research data

The 4th ESFRI Stakeholder Forum Meetup took place on 22 September 2026 at the National Maritime College of Ireland in Cork, bringing together key representatives of Research Infrastructures, Member States, the European Commission, research and technology organisations, industry and the wider research and innovation community.

The event was organised by the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) in cooperation with the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Commission. The event focused on the Strategic Consolidation of the European Research Infrastructure Landscape, with particular attention to integrated user access schemes to research infrastructures and the resilience of research data sovereignty.

The discussions took place in the framework of the ERA Policy Agenda 2025-2027 and in the context of the ongoing implementation of the European Strategy on Research and Technology Infrastructures, as well as a continuation of ESFRI’s ongoing strategic work, including the preparation of the ESFRI Roadmap 2026.

The event was opened by José Luis Martínez Peña, ESFRI Chair, and Colm O’Reardon, Secretary General of Department of Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science, Ireland.

Minister James Lawless, Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, highlighted the importance of Research Infrastructures for Ireland’s and Europe’s future competitiveness: “I am delighted that we had ESFRI and its stakeholder community here in Ireland this week.  Research infrastructure is integral not only to our research and innovation performance, but more fundamentally to our future economic competitiveness and prosperity. I have delivered on Ireland’s Programme for Government’s commitment to this agenda with my launch of the landmark €750m INSPIRE research infrastructure programme last November. Connectivity between national and international research infrastructures, and their accessibility, including but not limited to industry, will be central to future national and European innovation performance.”

Michael Arentoft, Head of Unit for Open Science and Research Infrastructures, DG Research & Innovation, European Commission, presented recent developments in European Research Infrastructure policy, focusing on the implementation of the European Strategy for Research and Technology Infrastructures, particularly in relation to access and research data.

José Luis Martínez Peña, ESFRI Chair, highlighted the importance of continued cooperation across the European Research Infrastructure community: “Research infrastructures do not exist in isolation — they are built, sustained, and renewed through sustained cooperation across borders and institutions, and supported through a continued dialogue between ESFRI, Member States, Research Infrastructures, the Commission and stakeholders that keep the European research infrastructure  landscape coherent, strategic, and responsive to emerging scientific needs.”

The first session addressed access across the Research Infrastructure landscape. Following a keynote by Annika Thies, Head of the EU Office at DESY, participants discussed how existing access mechanisms could be complemented by more integrated and sustained user access programmes, with a stronger focus on users’ needs.

The exchange addressed the simplification of access pathways, more user-centered approaches and clearer entry points, access for industry, including SMEs, startups and scaleups, and stronger links between Research and Technology Infrastructures. Participants also considered the governance, coordination and long-term sustainability of integrated access programmes, while considering the diversity, scientific excellence and autonomy of individual research infrastructures.

From the European Commission’s perspective, the importance of continued cooperation and coordinated actions across Europe, was also highlighted: “Implementing actions of the European strategy on research and technology Infrastructures requires continuous cooperation across the EU, countries and stakeholders. Discussions showed needs for more integrated and sustainable access schemes, as well as for more resilient infrastructures ensuring control over critical assets, facilities, data and services.”

The afternoon session focused on databases at risk and research data sovereignty. In her keynote, Shelley Stall, Vice President for Open Science Leadership at the American Geophysical Union, addressed the importance of trusted and sustainable research data practices for the resilience of the research ecosystem and for supporting science, innovation and Open Science.

Breakout discussions on One Health, Climate, and Social Sciences and Humanities examined challenges related to the preservation, accessibility, interoperability and resilience of research data across different scientific domains. The discussions highlighted both domain-specific requirements and issues of common European interest, including continuity of access to critical research data, long-term sustainability and coordination across existing Research Infrastructures and federated data initiatives.  

The subsequent panel considered the role of coordinated and federated approaches in strengthening European research data ecosystems. The discussion addressed strategic dependencies, the continuity of access to critical research data and databases, and the relationship between European capacity, openness and trusted international cooperation.

The closing session reflected on the main points raised during the day and their relevance for European and national Research Infrastructure policy. It also considered their relevance for ESFRI’s ongoing strategic work, future European programming and continued engagement with the wider research infrastructure stakeholder community.

The Meetup was followed by the 97th ESFRI Forum Meeting in Cork, continuing exchanges among ESFRI delegates on the development of the European Research Infrastructure landscape.

ESFRI, the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures, operates at the forefront of European and global science policy. It is a strategy forum, driven by member states, conducting a dialogue with European research infrastructure and Research & Innovation stakeholders to analyse their needs and bottlenecks to provide Member States, Associated Countries, and the Commission with evidence-based and timely advice, and strategic vision for an effective long-term sustainable development of the research infrastructure ecosystem in Europe. 

For any queries, please contact us at info@str-esfri.eu.

Download the Press Release here.