News

PERIIA board meets with European Commission representatives

In the recent online meeting, PERIIA board members held a productive dialogue with representatives from the European Commission departments, DG Research & Innovation, Open Science, and Research Infrastructures.

The EC representatives were given an overview of PERIIA's ongoing activities and ambitious plans. The primary aim of this discussion was to solicit feedback on PERIIA’s work programme for the next two years. The insights and recommendations from the EC are seen as crucial in shaping the programme to better align with the broader goals of European research and innovation.

PERIIA is particularly focused on how it can increase cooperation and co-creation between Research Infrastructures (RIs) and industry. The association aims to facilitate the transfer of technology from RIs to the commercial sector, thereby strengthening the overall research and innovation ecosystem. By fostering long-term relationships between these entities, PERIIA seeks to drive scientific advancements and industrial growth.

The meeting underscored the importance of collaboration and the need for strategic alignment between PERIIA's initiatives and the EC vision for research and innovation. PERIIA is committed to integrating feedback from the EC to refine its strategies, ensuring that its work makes a significant contribution to increasing RI cooperation and promoting sustainable innovation across Europe.

5th PERIIA General Assembly, Trieste (Italy), 1 October 2024

The Pan-European Research Infrastructure ILO Association (PERIIA) will hold its 5th General Assembly on 1 October 2024 in Trieste, Italy. This significant event will take place during the Big Science Business Forum, providing a unique opportunity for Industry Liaison Officers (ILOs) from various countries to meet in person.

The General Assembly will focus on fostering connections among ILOs from different countries and collaborating with various Big Science Organisations (BSOs). Attendees will have the chance to share experiences, discuss various practices, and work towards a unified understanding of their roles to enhance international collaborations.

Key agenda items include:

• Updates on the progress and achievements of the PERIIA Network and its Board.

• Discussions on new proposals and future activities.

• Election of board members for the upcoming two-year term.

PERIIA encourages all national ILOs to attend and actively participate in this assembly to strengthen the network and contribute to the ongoing success of international scientific cooperation.

4th PERIIA General Assembly discusses the future of the Network

The 4th PERIIA General Assembly was held online on 21 November 2023. The forum discussed the activities of the Network and identified steps for its further development.

The PERIIA board members reported on work already completed and upcoming activities in the Network’s work programme 2023-2024. The focus was on the webinars for exchange of experience and good practice among the ILOs and capacity building, relationships with the EC and EIROforum, communication strategy, and upgrading of the website.

Participants were informed about the current status of the Ukrainian initiative to replace lost scientific equipment/instruments in the research laboratories of Kharkiv, and the support of the non-profit association RI Logistica in the process.

A presentation dedicated to the main novelties of BSBF2024 (1-4 October 2024 in Trieste) updated  the forum on current and upcoming calls, plenary and parallel sessions, exhibition, and special initiatives such as Women in Big Science.

The legal status of PERIIA and PERIIA membership were also discussed. An association type structure was proposed as the most appropriate, and a summary of all the options will be presented at the next PERIIA General Assembly in Trieste. Membership of PERIIA will be open, free of charge, to all active European ILOs, who can join through an application procedure on the PERIIA website.

The forum concluded with a panel debate with Big Science ILOs network chairs about the consolidation of a Big Science Common Market.

The long-term vision and advance information could be useful in the consolidation process, helping companies to prepare. It was also pointed out that national ILO networks must be stable in terms of funding and resources, as industry needs stability in the market, reliable partners, and continuity in terms of procurement. The ILOs play an important role in this and can provide a long-term vision and synergies among facilities, not just in EU but also worldwide.

PERIIA webinar identifies the profile of the “good ILO”

What are the most important skills a “good ILO” should possess? How can these be acquired? What are the RI’s expectations of the ILOs? And what kind of support do the ILOs need? These were the most important issues discussed during the first PERIIA webinar, dedicated to “The role and skills of Big Science ILOs”, held on 31 August 2023.

Nikolaj Zangenberg, an ILO for Denmark from the Danish Technological Institute, gave a presentation on the Big Science ILOs and their role – an analysis based on a survey of the EU project ENRIITC. Sylvia Wojtowicz, an ILO for Poland from the Polish National Centre for Nuclear Research, shared some findings of the ENRIITC project on the skills required by the ILOs and their training needs. 

As a representative of the research facilities, Cristina Lara, Head of Procurement at CERN, discussed the technical and behavioural competencies required by the ILOs. Cristina stated that “a ‘good ILO’ is an active ILO that acts on behalf of the industry they represent” and emphasised the importance of initial training. 

The webinar concluded with a panel debate on the various types of support the ILOs need.

First donation under the PERIIA ILO Ukraine Initiative

The first donation under the PERIIA’s ILO Ukraine Initiative has already been received. It came from Utrecht University, delivered with the support of RI.Logistica. 4PL Central Station Nordic AB managed the transport of the equipment to Lund, and ESS Logistics staff ensured its safe delivery.

The ILO Ukraine Initiative was started in September 2022 by the PERIIA network, with RI.Logistica providing the logistical solution. The Initiative will support RIs in Ukraine by replacing equipment stolen or damaged during the ongoing war, and also meeting the volumes that need to be transported.

The initiative is open to all organisations that wish to become involved. More information about the donation process is available in RI.Logistica’s Guidelines. The Equipment List shows what equipment is needed in Ukraine. The list is not exhaustive, so if you have equipment that you would like to donate, but it is not on the list, please do not hesitate to contact RI.Logistica. To the webpage.