Memorandum of the Research Infrastructure Committee
- Title
- Memorandum of the Research Infrastructure Committee
- Authors
- Chair: Director General Sakari Karjalainen, secretary: Senior Science Adviser Eeva Ikonen and Academy of Finland, Technology Manager Reijo Munther, Tekes
- Committee
- Research Infrastructure Committee
- Series of publications
- Reports of the Ministry of Education, Finland 2007:36
- Published
- 10-08-2007
- Number of pages
- 32
- ISBN
- 978-952-485-403-0 (pbk.)
978-952-485-404-7 (PDF)
- ISSN
- 1458-8102
- Language
- Finnish
- Subscriptions
- Helsinki University Press
- Publisher
- Ministry of Education
Abstract
Research infrastructures constitute a reserve of research equipment, instruments, materials and services that facilitates research and development at different stages of the innovation chain, supports organised research and maintains the capacity for research.
The committee proposes that Finland should establish mechanisms for competed funding of research infrastructures and equipment. This calls for more centralised planning of and increased financial investment in research infrastructures, long term solutions and permanent structures for funding.
The committee proposes that Finland should set up a permanent body to outline infrastructure policies and strategies, and determine related funding policies. The composition of the committee should include the expertise of the scientific and technological research in various administrative sectors and of industry and other utilizers of the research findings.
The permanent body should regularly review the current state of infrastructures and assess the long term needs (10–15 yrs) of different research fields (road map) in terms of infrastructures, including participation in international research infrastructures.
The committee proposes a supplementary infrastructure appropriation to be financed with income from the sale of state-owned companies. The appropriation will be used for updating the national research infrastructure, improving services, furthering Finnish participation in major international research infrastructure projects, and the activities of the permanent body.