Finland to join European Research Infrastructures

International communication and collaboration has been part of scientific word for a very long time. Over the years multiple science communities have networked to great extent. More recently digitalization of science has proceeded quickly on basically all scientific areas. Together these trends have contributed to emerging need for coordinated international research infrastructures for the benefit of the research communities.

Currently, a large number of research communities in Europe are preparing to establish organizations to govern and operate research infrastructures in their field. Some communities have proceeded so far as to establish a legal entity specifically created for this purpose, commonly called as ERIC (European Research Infrastructure Consortium), and others are taking concrete steps to this direction.

Finnish researchers and research communities have been highly active in participation in designing these infrastructures. Clearly the benefits of being part of an international community is valued by the scientists themselves. Some of the benefits include access to leading scientific facilities, collections and services, for example, and on the other hand sharing the workload needed in development and operations. The RIs also facilitate the services, data collections and tools produced at Finnish universities to gain much broader audience.

The research policy-makers in Finland recognize the added value for the academia in being part of European research infrastructures. In particular the Research Infrastructure board FIRI at Academy of Finland has recommended Finland to join 6 new European RI organizations: BBMRI, EATRIS, CESSDA, CLARIN, ICOS and Infrafrontier. In one of these, the ICOS infrastructure (Integrated Carbon Observation System), the international head office will be established in Finland.

Even with the endorsement by the Academy the membership is not yet completed. Joining a RI organization actually requires the state of Finland to acquire the membership.  Consent of the Parliament is needed and thereafter the Government has to make a positive decision (in the case of ICOS head office a full parliamentary discussion will have to be passed).

Schedules for the variety of RIs may be different. There is also difference in that some of the RIs have already established governing organizations, such as CLARIN ERIC, and others are closing in on being established. In any case, many signs point to Finland having joined some of the European RIs as full members before the newly arrived snow has melted next spring.