International cooperation
Some research facilities, particularly in physics or astronomy, are so large, complex or expensive that they require international cooperation to construct and run them.
Others are naturally global in scope as they respond to global challenges and/or require the combined skills, data and efforts of the world's best scientists.
The European Commission is involved in a number of different international endeavours dealing with Research Infrastructures.
OECD Global Science Forum (GSF)
Specifically the European Commission is part of the following working groups
- GSF working group on Research Infrastrcuture sustainability where the aim is to ensure coherence and complementarity with the long term sustainability effort conducted at European level
- GSF working group on the socio-economic impact of Research Infrastructures which aims to reach an understanding at international level of the principles and processes to be followed when addressing the socio-economic impact of any research infrastructure
The Group of Senior Officials
At the first G8 Science Ministers' meeting, held in Okinawa on 15 June 2008, it was decided to form a Group of Senior Officials (GSO) on global research infrastructures to take stock and explore cooperation opportunities.
Research Infrastructures and science diplomacy
International Research Infrastructures can kickstart cooperation between peoples.
They provide a tangible shared objective built on the common scientific values of rationality, transparency and universality.
Examples
The Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME)
SESAME is a unique international initiative to build a research infrastructure in Jordan/
The EU-Latin America Countries Working Group on Research Infrastructures (EU-CELAC)
The group is co-chaired by the Commission and Uruguay, nominated by the CELAC Presidency to represent the LAC countries. The objective of this working group is to align and harmonise (bi-) regional policy coordination and share good practices in policy development and mapping of research infrastructures.