Platform unites EU research infrastructures Integrating Europe's research infrastructures will lead to greater synergy and innovation for the science, technology and research community. Health © Thinkstock European projects often find themselves competing for the same resources and even the same grants, a reality which could be counterproductive to furthering innovation and technological development. The EU-funded project 'Forum for integrated infrastructures initiatives' (I3 FORUM) sought to overcome this barrier to innovation. The project aimed to enhance research infrastructures in Europe through the EU's infrastructures initiatives (I3) and Coordination Actions (CAs), which represent a network comprising the most important infrastructures in Europe. It achieved this through exchange of good practices in management and organisation of I3, as well as acting as a central information platform for major research infrastructures and challenges. In addition, I3 FORUM supported the articulation of a European infrastructures roadmap and long-term EU strategy on improving infrastructure cooperation. The ensuing networking meant that projects can now encompass many complementary disciplines from particle physics to mouse mutant collections, without having to compete for the same funding stream. The initiative could have a very positive impact on the European Research Area (ERA).
