ERIC Forum Project 2 Kick-off Event

Published on 21/09/2023

Following the successful establishment and implementation of the ERIC Forum project (2019-2022), the EU Funded ERIC Forum 2 project (GA 101124559), coordinated by BBMRI ERIC, is intended to strengthen and support the implementation of the ERIC Regulation and ERIC services, to structure their cooperation and sustainability across Europe, and to consolidate the integration of the ERICs into the European Research Area by deepening the ERIC Forum’s contribution to research policies.

To start on a solid footing and ensure alignment of all partners at the beginning of the project, an ERIC Forum 2 project kick-off meeting was held online on 15 September 2023.

The programme consisted of three parts:

Firstly, welcome and introduction by Antje Kepler, Chair of the ERIC Forum, Michael Arentoft, Head of Unit at DG RTD, Jens K. Habermann, Director General at BBMRI-ERIC, and Judith Balogh, Project Manager at BBMRI-ERIC. Their presentations covered the ERIC Forum's perspective, the EC's perspective, as well as the broader picture and the technical aspects of the project.

Then, the work packages whose activities will start during the first year of the project were presented and discussed by their respective leaders. The remaining work packages will be discussed at an in-person GA meeting that will take place in January 2024.

Finally, at the end of the afternoon, the General Assembly of the ERIC Forum took place. Here, the members of the ERIC Forum Assembly discussed the recent activities of the Eric Forum.

As the leader of Pillar 2 of the project, which aims to strengthen European policy on Research Infrastructures (RIs) and their international cooperation, ECRIN (represented by Maria A. Rujano) presented a brief overview of Pillar 2, followed by a more detailed presentation of a work package which is tasked with promoting the participation of RIs in all Horizon Europe Pillars and in the EU Partnerships and Missions, so that RIs can make a full contribution to European science policy and research strategy.