The policy brief "Unlocking the potential of research infrastructure ecosystems to tackle societal challenges" examines how Research Infrastructures (RIs) can move beyond serving specialist scientific communities to play a broader role in addressing major societal challenges. Drawing on lessons from the COVID-19 response, it highlights the untapped potential of RI ecosystems to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, support innovation, and inform public policy. It also outlines how funders and policymakers can help create the conditions for sustainable, high-impact RI partnerships.
Key messages
- Although Research Infrastructures (RIs) play a critical role in all fields of science, most RIs still serve a restricted expert user community. Many RIs have unexploited potential to expand their user communities and broaden their scope of activities, including through international partnerships.
- Collaborative arrangements among RIs can exploit complementarities and foster new interdisciplinary partnerships, supporting excellent science and innovation.
- RI ecosystems, i.e. dynamic and evolving partnerships between RIs which are developed around a set of shared strategic objectives, represent unique opportunities to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery and address complex societal challenges.
- Policymakers and funders play a critical role in ensuring the conditions for sustainable and successful RI collaborations. The successful development of an RI ecosystem is not solely dependent on the operational organisation of the partnership but also on the supporting incentives and policies put in place by funders and governments. Integrating RI ecosystems into strategic planning exercises and developing specific funding mechanisms that promote and recognise the value of collaboration between RIs are important for maximising the return on investment in RIs both individually and collectively.
OECD Briefs are concise, informative and easy-to-understand texts that summarise OECD views, analyses and recommendations on subjects of global public concern. They are aimed at a policymaking/shaping audience who are not necessarily technical experts on key policy topics.
