What are Technology Infrastructures?
With rising technological complexity, industry’s innovation capacity and productivity heavily depend on facilities and services provided by Technology Infrastructures.
Technology Infrastructures (TIs) are described in European Commission Staff Working Document (SWD 2019/158) as 'facilities, equipment, capabilities and support services required to develop, test and upscale technology to advance from validation in a laboratory up to higher Technology Readiness Levels prior to competitive market entry. They can have public, semi-public or private status. Their users are mainly industrial players, including SMEs, which seek support to develop and integrate innovative technologies towards commercialisation of new products, processes and services, whilst ensuring feasibility and regulatory compliance.'
Technology infrastructures come in various forms and can be sector-specific or technology-focused, such as pilot lines, testing facilities, clean rooms, demonstration sites, and living labs.
Technology Infrastructures are usually hosted and operated by Research and Technology Organisations and technical universities. Companies can also offer Technology Infrastructures.
Why are Technology Infrastructures important?
Technology Infrastructures provide tailored services as well as advanced technical expertise and facilities to support industry including SMEs and start-ups in research and innovation, technology development, testing and upscaling.
In this role, Technology Infrastructures also
- help businesses reduce their investment risks by mitigating the uncertainties in testing new ideas, technologies and production processes
- accelerate deployment of research and innovation results and strategic technologies in industrial ecosystems and research and innovation ecosystems
- shorten time-to-market and enhance commercialisation
- offer cost efficient solutions to companies by minimising the requirement for specialised in-house equipment, along with access to expertise for evaluating technological and business opportunities
- ensure compliance with existing safety standards and certification requirements
Technology Infrastructures play a vital role in driving European innovation, in accelerating the green and digital transition goals promoted in the Policy Agenda for the European Research Area (ERA), and in enhancing Europe's strategic autonomy, technological sovereignty and competitiveness.
The development of Technology Infrastructures and their long-term sustainability requires public investment and highly skilled technical staff to remain at the forefront of innovation and technological excellence.
What the Commission is doing
Following the Commission Communication on a New ERA for Research and Innovation, the Commission has launched concrete work on a coordinated European approach to Technology Infrastructures to support European industry, especially SMEs and startups.
This is being prepared under the ERA Policy Agenda (2022-2024) and Action 12 “Accelerating the green/digital transition of Europe’s key industrial ecosystems”, developed under the Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe.
This will further implement the Council Conclusions on Knowledge Valorisation (23 May 2024), which call for a definition of Technology Infrastructures, a mapping of user needs, and the development of an EU strategy.
The European approach will address key-challenges like limited accessibility and visibility to industry, in particular SMEs, fragmentation of the Technology Infrastructure landscape and lack of coordination of services and investments.
The approach is built on 5 pillars
- Definition and Typology: Clearly define Technology Infraturctures and categorise them by function
- User Needs Analysis: Understand industry's specific needs for Technology Infrastructures
- Strategic Pilot Areas: Identify areas where Technology Infrastructures can have the biggest impact
- Investment Prioritisation: Develop mechanisms for prioritising investments
- EU-Level Coordination: Explore options for a European coordination mechanism for TIs
European Commission Expert Group on Technology Infrastructures
The Commission will be advised on the main elements of this European approach by a Commission Expert Group on Technology Infrastructures which has started its work in February 2024.
Publications
This updated Results Pack on Open Innovation Test Beds showcases 10 EU-funded projects that are helping to bring innovations to the market faster.
Projects and results
Research project database (CORDIS)
The Commission's primary portal for results of EU-funded R&I projects. Here you can find projects related to Technology Infrastructures.
Examples of Technology Infrastructure projects
- RITIFI:Stimulating European research and technology infrastructure growth
- Convert2Green: Converting Facilities Network for accelerating uptake of climate neutral materials in innovative products
- Exploit4InnoMat: An Open Innovation Ecosystem for exploitation of materials for building envelopes towards zero energy buildings
- CLEANHYPRO: Open Innovation Test Bed for Electrolysis Materials for Clean Hydrogen Production
- H2SHIFT: Services for hydrogen innovation facilitation and testing
Contact
Want to find out more about the Technology Infrastructures or want to contribute?
Email us at: RTD-TECHNOLOGY-INFRASTRUCTURES
ec [dot] europa [dot] eu (RTD-TECHNOLOGY-INFRASTRUCTURES[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
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