EU-Wide Advantages & Opportunities for Grant HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-03

1. Strategic Positioning within the Single Market

• Pan-European User Base – Strengthening an ESFRI Landmark/ERIC under this call automatically embeds the RI in the EU’s single market of 450 + million citizens and 23 million enterprises, dramatically enlarging the potential user and customer pool for high-end RI services (e.g. data, beam time, remote experiments).

• Market-Driven Sustainability – The 80 % EC funding rate still requires 20 % co-financing; tapping the single market eases revenue diversification via service fees, industrial contracts, public–private partnerships and national contributions.

• Procurement & Supply-Chain Efficiency – Harmonised EU public-procurement rules allow the RI to source cutting-edge technologies (e.g. green cooling, AI-ready HPC) from any Member State, reducing costs and speeding up deployment.

2. Cross-Border Collaboration Opportunities

• Mandatory Multinational Consortia – ESFRI Landmarks/ERICs already involve ≥3 countries; this call encourages membership enlargement, opening doors to additional Member States and Associated Countries, thereby increasing in-kind contributions, expertise and political clout.

• Knowledge & Talent Circulation – Mobility of researchers is friction-free under the ERA; the project can establish joint training, staff-exchange and virtual-access schemes that leverage excellence clusters from Helsinki to Barcelona.

• Global Visibility – Consolidated EU RIs become single entry points for international partners (US, Japan, South Africa), easing tie-in to multilateral initiatives such as the GSO on Global Research Infrastructure.

3. Alignment with Flagship EU Policies

| EU Strategy | Concrete Leverage Points for this Call |

|-------------|----------------------------------------|

| European Green Deal | Mandated reduction of environmental impact aligns with EU’s 55 % emissions-reduction target; RIs become test-beds for energy-efficient labs, circular economy procurement & life-cycle assessments. |

| Digital Europe & Data Strategy | FAIR-data management and EOSC integration create pan-European data spaces; project can request EOSC-related technical assistance. |

| New European Innovation Agenda | Industry/SME engagement tasks foster deep-tech spin-outs and regional innovation valleys around RI nodes. |

| ERA Policy Agenda | Direct contribution to Actions 8 (Research Infrastructure) & 13 (Green and Digital R&I). |

4. Regulatory Harmonisation Benefits

• ERIC Legal Framework – Offers VAT exemptions, simplified customs and a single legal personality valid across the EU, cutting administrative overhead for upgrades or new remote nodes.

• Data Governance & GDPR Compliance – EU-wide protocols facilitate seamless cross-border data sharing while ensuring legal certainty for users.

• State-Aid Safe Harbour – RIs operating under ERIC rules can provide open access without breaching competition law, smoothing collaboration with SMEs.

5. Access to Europe’s Innovation Ecosystem

• Clustering with EIT KICs and Digital Innovation Hubs – The project can embed services in existing KIC networks (Climate-KIC, EIT Digital) to reach thousands of start-ups.

• Synergy with EuroHPC & Chips Act – RIs requiring advanced computing or sensor technologies can co-develop pilots with EuroHPC JU and forthcoming semiconductor pilot lines.

• Regional Smart Specialisation (S3) – Distributed nodes can anchor themselves in S3 priorities, unlocking ERDF co-funding and regional political support.

6. Funding Synergies & Leverage

• Cascade Funding – Integration with Horizon Europe Innovation Actions (e.g. Pathfinder, IA) enables voucher schemes to attract SME users.

• Structural Funds – Upgrading national nodes can draw on ERDF/Just Transition Mechanism as match-funding for the 20 % own contribution.

• InvestEU & EIB – Mature RIs can secure blended finance for large-scale upgrades once the consolidated business plan is delivered under this grant.

7. Scale, Impact & Long-Term Sustainability

• EU-Wide Service Portfolio – Reorientation/evolution activities allow RIs to plug gaps identified in the ESFRI Landscape Analysis, creating unique EU-level capabilities (e.g. quantum-ready materials beamlines, climate-neutral aviation test beds).

• Standard-Setting Power – Consolidated RIs set protocols and benchmarks adopted EU-wide, reinforcing Europe’s global leadership in metrology, health, space, energy, etc.

• Green & Digital Transition Multipliers – Each €1 EU investment in RIs historically generates €5-€10 in long-term socio-economic returns; a consolidated Landmark/ERIC magnifies this at continental scale.

8. Actionable Recommendations for Applicants

1. Map Membership Gaps – Identify under-represented EU-13 and candidate countries; propose a targeted enlargement plan backed by letters of political commitment.

2. Design a Hybrid Access Model – Combine on-site, remote and virtual access to maximise inclusiveness and minimise carbon footprint.

3. Embed a FAIR-Data Work-Package – Commit to EOSC interoperability and allocate budget for persistent identifiers and machine-actionable metadata.

4. Green Your RI – Integrate life-cycle assessments, renewable energy procurement and circular-procurement pilots; quantify CO₂ savings in KPIs.

5. Co-funding Strategy – Pre-secure ERDF/InvestEU or national top-up letters to cover the 20 % own contribution, showcasing financial robustness in the proposal.

6. Impact Assessment Loop – Update or create an RI impact-assessment framework aligned with ESFRI & OECD guidelines; plan for periodic socio-economic evaluation.

9. Key Take-Away

Applying to HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-03 is not just about upgrading a single facility; it is an opportunity to reinforce Europe’s entire research-and-innovation fabric by leveraging the power of the single market, cross-border collaboration, harmonised regulation and multi-funding synergies—advantages that no purely national scheme can match.