ESFRI Chair Highlights the Strategic Role of Research Infrastructures at the RICH Europe Symposium

ESFRI Chair José Luis Martínez Peña delivered a keynote address at the Second RICH Europe Symposium for Research Infrastructures, held in Rome, highlighting the strategic role of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) as a reference pillar for the development of Europe’s Research and Technology Infrastructure (RTI) strategy.

In his keynote, José Luis Martínez Peña emphasised the importance of strengthening coordination across the European Research Infrastructure ecosystem and aligning national and European efforts to maximise impact within the European Research Area (ERA) and the Horizon Europe framework.

“Collaboration, synergy, cooperation and sustainability are the key messages related to the Research Infrastructures in Europe,” he noted, stressing that these principles are essential for ensuring long-term scientific excellence, interoperability and strategic coherence across the European research landscape.

The RICH Europe Symposium brought together policymakers, research infrastructure leaders, and stakeholders from across the European research ecosystem to discuss how to enhance synergies among infrastructures and with key Horizon Europe instruments, including research clusters, partnerships, and other EU initiatives.

The discussions focused on strengthening collaboration among infrastructures, fostering interoperability and data sharing, improving alignment of funding mechanisms, and expanding cooperation with industry and the private sector to accelerate innovation and maximise societal impact.

ESFRI continues to play a central role in shaping the future of the European research infrastructure ecosystem, promoting coordinated investment, long-term sustainability and stronger integration across Europe’s scientific landscape.