Bratislava, Vienna – RESINFRA@DR Know-how exchange forum focused on Research Infrastructures (RI) mutual support activities in the Danube Macro-region hosted by RESINFRA@DR, took place on 22-23 May 2019 in Bratislava, Slovakia, in the Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information.

In order to provide ground for reflection, the organisers have invited currently developing research infrastructures and already successful initiatives to allow a wider sharing of experiences.

Throughout the last year within the RESINFRA@DR project have been implemented several pilot actions focused on research infrastructures. The implemented pilots focused mainly on management challenges during regular operation of research infrastructures or specific phases of their establishment.

With the help of “friendly peers” and selected experts the project partners have established working teams for selected research infrastructures. Visits were organised and recommendations addressing the involved initiatives were prepared and drafted already.

Aim of the RESINFRA@DR Know-how exchange forum was to support transnational cooperation in order to initiate the potential of similar mutual support actions for an effective operation of research infrastructures in the Danube region.

As foreseen, the teams and also the final recipients of support (the involved research entities and infrastructures) have reflected on the current challenges of the initiatives and the proposed recommendations. In addition, a reflection of the process itself have revealed the potential of similar mutual support actions in the Danube macro-region and showed how far similar actions should be included in a joint action plan.

Through the event the project partners have summarised the findings of the performed so-called “mutual learning visits”.

SPEAKERS AND MAIN TOPICS

Felix Gajdusek, Centre for Social Innovation, Austria – Introduction of the project ResInfra@DR and its main results and outputs.

Assoc. Prof. Anton Lavrin, Technical University of Košice, National H2020 delegate for RIs – Insight in Research Infrastructures performance in Slovakia.

Dr. Jan Balon, Czech Academy of Sciences – ResInfra@DR Pilot Actions: Overview of the RI support actions.

Assoc. Prof. Alzbeta Marcek Chorvatova, International Laser Center in Laserlab Europe – The Integrated Initiative of European Laser Research Infrastructures.

Petra Szűcs, ELI Attosecond Light Pulse Source (ELI-ALPS), Hungary – Experience with regional economy in the context of the ELI Centre.

Dr. Mihai Radu, Dragos Seuleanu, Extreme Light Infrastructure – Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), Romania – Experience with regional economy in the context of the ELI Centre.

Presentation of the main findings from implemented pilot actions implemented in pairs:

Pair pilot action: Institute of Oceanology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences vs. Faculty of Civil Engineering University of Rijeka, Croatia (Marko Hajdinjak, Mirela Čokešić).
Pair pilot action: University of Banja Luka, BiH, Faculty of Electrical Engineering vs. Technical University of Košice, Slovakia (Prof. Gordana Gardašević, Anna Krivjanska).
Pair pilot action: Institute of Molecular Biology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences vs. National R&D Institute of Food Bioresources – IBA (within METROFOOD-RI), Romania (Kalin Mutavchiev, Luiza Pascal).

Ex-ante support to planned or to be upgraded RIs in the Danube macro region

Prof. Ana Cornelia Badea, Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest – Experience with regional economy in the context of University of Maribor.

Dr. Doris Gangl, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna – Establishing a monitoring system for the Hydrology laboratory.

Prof. Mihail Todiras, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Moldova, Laboratory of Genetics – decision support for RI plan.

Dr. Siniša Marčić, Ministry for Scientific and Technological Development, Higher Education and Information Society, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Srpska – RI roadmap development process.

The forum included interactive sessions with aim to collect inputs for the Joint Action Plan for RIs development:

• Reflection on the presented actions
• Necessary inputs for support and for effective operation and adequate establishment of RIs
• Proposal of new ways of mutual learning which would be desirable (staff exchange, visits, etc)
• RIs sustainability issues
• Important components of an Action plan for RIs development in the DR

Photos from the event...

Learn more about the Resinfra@DR project and the Interreg Danube Transnational Programme…

International press contact

• Anna Krivjanska, Centrum vedecko-technickych informacii SR (CVTI SR), Bratislava: anna.krivjanska@cvtisr.sk
• Pamela Bartar, Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI), Vienna: bartar@zsi.at or office@resinfradr.eu

Image source: ResInfra@DR 2019