2015 Research Infrastructures Roadmap
Bern, 24.06.2015 - At today’s meeting, the Federal Council took note of the “2015 Research Infrastructures Roadmap” presented by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). The roadmap is a strategic planning instrument for the funding of research infrastructures in Switzerland and provides a basis for the Dispatch on the Promotion of Education, Research and Innovation for 2017-2020 and the corresponding funding decisions.
Public and private actors in research and innovation greatly value having access to top-class research infrastructures. In many fields, research infrastructures are essential if progress is to be made and knowledge developed in that area. Such infrastructures include large-scale research facilities (e.g. particle accelerators, telescopes or measuring stations), electronic infrastructure (e.g. supercomputers, software and digital science information networks) and information and service infrastructures (e.g. databases). The demand for research infrastructures such as these is growing, and the need for funds increases with it. In particular, careful planning is needed for large-scale research infrastructures of national or international importance that have medium- to long-term coordination requirements if limited funds are to be used as efficiently, effectively and sustainably as possible.
The Research Infrastructures Roadmap meets SERI’s legal requirement to report to the Federal Council on the status and development of research infrastructures. A first report was drawn up in 2011 and has now been updated in preparation for the 2017-2020 Dispatch on the Promotion of Education, Research and Innovation (ERI). It gives an overview of the newly planned and existing national and international research infrastructures.
The roadmap does not contain any funding decisions, nor does it define how federal funding should be allocated under the ERI Dispatch. The sponsoring institution (usually a higher education institution) decides whether a new research infrastructure should be set up, and what form this should take.
Address for enquiries
Dr. Nicole Schaad, SERI
Head of Research, National Research and Innovation Division
nicole.schaad@sbfi.admin.ch
Tel. +41 58 463 59 85
Publisher
State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation
http://www.sbfi.admin.ch
