Overview of National and International Research Infrastructures

© CERN

As research projects become progressively more multidisciplinary and technology advances, the need for efficient and accessible research infrastructures is growing for all scientific disciplines. The federal government is responsible for preparing the Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures.

In Switzerland, the construction and maintenance of research infrastructures is primarily the responsibility of the higher education institutions and research institutions within the ETH domain. At international level, the federal government builds and operates large-scale research infrastructures in cooperation with other countries (international infrastructures).

Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures

The Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures is a planning tool for research infrastructures. SERI updates this report every four years in preparation for the Federal Council Dispatch on the Promotion of Education, Research and Innovation (ERI Dispatch). The roadmap provides an overview of future needs and planned developments in the various research fields and thus serves as a basis for preparation of the ERI Dispatch.

Roadmap 2023 and 2019

Roadmap 2023 and 2019

• 2023 Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures
  The 2023 Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures is currently in the drafting phase. The selection of new infrastructure projects involves several stages of evaluation and prioritisation by the institutions involved. The next Swiss Roadmap will be published in the spring of 2023 and will be used as the basis for the ERI Dispatch for 2025–2028.
  In order to help the relevant institutions in their selection and prioritisation of research infrastructures for the period 2025-2028, the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) was commissioned by SERI to coordinate the drafting of a thematic roadmap for the research community.
  All information on how to submit research infrastructure proposals for the 2023 Roadmap can be found in the Guideline German, French and the application form itself template.
• 2019 Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures
  Published in the spring of 2019, the 2019 Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures was used as a frame of reference for the ERI Dispatch for 2021–2024, which is currently being implemented. More details can be found in the 2019 Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures.
  

International research infrastructures

International research infrastructures create scientific and technological momentum that resonates worldwide. Targeted Swiss participation in international infrastructures is therefore an excellent way for Switzerland to reinforce its position in the area of research and innovation. The Federal Act of 14 December 2012 on the Promotion of Research and Innovation (RIPA) draws a distinction between two types of international research infrastructures:

• 'International research facilities' build and maintain centralised facilities that are accessible to external users who wish to conduct scientific experiments. A typical example is CERN, which is based in Switzerland. More information can be found here: Swiss Participation in International Research Infrastructures.
• Internationally coordinated research infrastructure networks are composed of national nodes that bundle and coordinate infrastructures and services at European level. More information can be found here: Switzerland’s participation in European research infrastructure networks

The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures ESFRI has established a roadmap for international research infrastructures that contribute specifically to the development of the European Research Area ERA. SERI represents Switzerland at ESFRI and has the policy-level authority to endorse ESFRI Roadmap proposals submitted by the Swiss research community. Swiss applicants wishing to submit an international research infrastructure proposal for inclusion in the next ESFRI Roadmap are encouraged to consult the ESFRI’s Roadmap Guideline as well as Switzerland's short guideline for applicants.

Links

Swiss Participation in International Research Infrastructures