The SEDEC commission of the European Committee of the Regions has adopted the opinion “A European Strategy on Research and Technology Infrastructures”. The opinion positions research and technology infrastructures (RTIs) as strategic territorial assets for Europe’s transformation, essential to delivering the green, digital and social transitions while strengthening regional cohesion, resilience and industrial competitiveness.
Presenting the opinion, Markku Markkula (FI/EPP), Vice-President of the CoR and rapporteur underlined the transformative role of RTIs: “RTIs are not just facilities; they are ecosystems. Their strength comes from linking universities, industry, start-ups, research organizations, and public authorities in one shared innovation effort.” He added:“Europe will not secure its future by cutting ambition. It will secure its future by investing in RTIs that turn science into deployment, deployment into competitiveness, and competitiveness into sustainable growth based on European values.”
In his approach, the rapporteur sets out ten key orientations for strengthening RTIs across Europe:
• Recognise RTIs as innovation ecosystems, not standalone facilities
• Use RTIs to translate scientific excellence into real-world impact
• Deploy RTIs to address major societal challenges (energy, health, climate, mobility, security)
• Leverage RTIs to upgrade Europe’s talent base and skills
• Strengthen RTIs as pillars of European sovereignty and global competitiveness
• Mobilise RTIs to accelerate the Clean Industrial Deal and industrial renewal
• Position RTIs as drivers of sustainable growth and long-term value creation
• Reduce fragmentation by integrating funding, governance and implementation
• Bring cities and regions to the innovation frontier through RTIs
• Ensure RTIs promote European values, trust and democratic legitimacy
Beyond these strategic orientations, the opinion places strong emphasis on the local and regional dimension of RTIs. It calls for embedding infrastructures in place-based, mission-oriented innovation ecosystems, where cities, regions, universities, industry and public authorities work together to deliver impact on the ground.
Addressing fragmentation as a key structural weakness, the opinion advocates for stronger alignment between European, national and regional frameworks, ensuring that RTIs operate as a coherent and accessible ecosystem. It also stresses the need for geographically balanced access, including support for SMEs, start-ups and less-developed or cross-border regions through distributed and digital models.
Finally, the opinion calls for a stronger governance role for local and regional authorities, highlighting the importance of regional agencies, clusters and universities as intermediaries. It links RTIs to smart specialisation strategies, living labs, demonstration sites and ERA Hubs, positioning them as engines of territorial capacity-building, innovation deployment and long-term public value for Europe’s cities and regions.
