SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, September 26 (EUROPA PRESS) –
A total of 14 countries have so far adhered to the ‘Declaration of the Spanish Presidency of Tenerife’, an initiative promoted by the Ministry of Science and Innovation within the framework of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union that advocates promoting a Research Infrastructure ecosystem best distributed territorially in Europe.
The declaration indicates that concrete actions are necessary for a more balanced distribution of these centers between the regions, in line with the Government’s desire for decentralization to promote territorial cohesion and structuring.
Over the next few weeks, it is expected that the vast majority of member states will continue to join and, in the same way, the accession of the European Commission itself is expected in the coming days, the ministry highlights in a note.
This statement was presented during the celebration of the ‘Global Dimension Sustainability of Research Infrastructures Conference’ that took place at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC) on September 25 and 26 and had the collaboration of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology, FECYT.
The declaration calls for ensuring the long-term sustainability of research infrastructures, not only in their construction and design, but also in their governance and financing.
Furthermore, it advocates the creation of a more balanced and better territorially distributed Research Infrastructure ecosystem throughout Europe, for which it considers it necessary to develop concrete actions at the national and European level in order to better participate in the smaller countries of the Union. European in the infrastructure ecosystem.
It also mentions the need and potential to develop the research career with new skills that allow the digital transition of Research Infrastructures, including taking advantage of the potential offered by Artificial Intelligence.
Other highlights are the special capacity of these infrastructures to promote Open Science policies at all levels, institutional, national and European, as well as the promotion of collaboration of European infrastructures with their counterparts around the world.
REDUCTION OF THE CARBON FOOTPRINT
The declaration also refers to the environmental challenges that societies face and advocates the reduction of the carbon footprint and the environmental footprint associated with the consumption of energy and infrastructure resources, increasing and prioritizing the use of energy sources renewables and reducing energy consumption.
The conference has brought together the main national and European actors from organizations and bodies of R&D&I Systems, such as Raquel Yotti, General Secretary of Research of the Ministry of Science and Innovation; Gonzalo Arévalo, general director of Research Planning of the Ministry of Science and Innovation; Michael Arentoft, head of the Open Science and Research Infrastructures Unit, of the General Directorate of Research and Innovation of the European Commission and Rafael Rebolo, director of IAC, among others.
Migdalia Machín, Minister of Universities, Science, Innovation, Culture and Heritage of the Government of the Canary Islands and Rosa Dávila, president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, have also participated.
The debates were structured around two axes, Sustainability challenges of research infrastructures, including resilience, and Global dimension of Research Infrastructures.
During this conference, the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) plaque was also presented to Eija Juurola, General Director of the Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS).
This plaque represents recognition of ACTRIS, which becomes part of this group of European research infrastructures.
