Research e-infrastructures (RIs)

Research eInfrastructures: a public good with value added benefits for the knowledge economy

Research e-infrastructures (Ris) are playing a central role in the Knowledge Triangle of research, education and innovation by creating a research environment whereby all scientists have access to facilities, such as data, international initiatives, communication tools and software, regardless of where they are geographically. This development is in response to the constant demand for open access to research infrastructures with accumulated and reusable scientific content, as well as for collaboration and networking across academic, scientific and educational communities.

The European map for research e-infrastructure, which defines e-infrastructures as public goods, fundamental elements for education and essential for economies of scale, has been the backbone of the National Information System for Research and Technology's (NISRT)  implementation. It focuses on ICT-based infrastructures and services that cut across a range of user disciplines and aims at empowering researchers with open online access to scientific resources, a range of facilities, networking and collaboration tools.

E-infrastructure directions

European policy for research e-infrastructure has the following priorities:

  • Ensuring the citizen's right to open access to knowledge
  • Developing e-infrastructures at the European level which provide open access to digital content for science, culture and educational
  • Resolving contemporary issues relating to intellectual property, reliable records of research activity, management and dissemination of primary research datasets, long-term preservation of digital content and the development of virtual collaborative environments for scientists
  • Developing innovative services and tools that improve the quality of research and educational activity
  • Supporting  integration of reearch activities in the EU to create a 'single research area' to achieve co-operation and interconnection between European centres of excellence in research

National Information System for Research and Technology

At a national level, the above policies for e-infrastructure have been implemented by NISRT through the Operational Programme 'Digital Convergence'. The ultimate aim is to meet the ever-expanding requirements and technological challenges (eg broadband, technological convergence, the latest information systems) of a constantly changing socio-economic environment.

NISRT has adopted the principles of European policies designed to face the aforementioned issues of the Knowledge Society. Having done so, it continues to evolve with a clear European orientation and with a policy of added value regarding   access to content, data and services. To achieve this, it takes into account performance indicators when developing its integrated actions for key issues of the Knowledge Triangle: research, education and innovation.