National-level research infrastructures : Present state and roadmap : Summary and recommendations

Finland’s Ministry of Education provided funds for the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies in 2008 for the mapping of research infrastructures at the national level and ap-pointed a wide-based Steering Group for the purpose. This work concerned research infra-structures in all sectors of administration, and as a result 20 projects are proposed for the roadmap of new infrastructures or ones that are to be significantly developed. Thirteen of them are associated with European researched infrastructures proposed by ESFRI. In addition to proposals for the roadmap, twelve recommendations for developing infra-structures in specific disciplines are presented along with thirteen general recommendations concerning 1) the establishment of infrastructural entities and the improved utilization of infrastructures, 2) Finnish participation in international research infrastructures and ESFRI projects, 3) funding, and 4) research infrastructure policy. The project estimates that the additional costs of implementing the roadmap will total approximately €30 million per year, while the costs of current national and international research infrastructures are around €160 million a year. Funding will also be needed for local research infrastructures. The present project reiterates the proposals of earlier work-ing groups concerning the need for an organ at the national level, a research infrastructure council, to prepare and implement research infrastructure policy and its funding