The European Commission has adopted a new Charter of Access intended to make it quicker and easier for companies to use Europe’s research and technology infrastructures, such as advanced laboratories, pilot lines and testing environments.
The guidance is aimed at improving access for businesses including start-ups, scaleups and small and medium-sized enterprises, the Commission said in a statement on Tuesday.
Companies can use these facilities to develop, test and validate new technologies, products and services, including using large scientific instruments.
The Charter is designed to support the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy.
Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, said companies “need cutting-edge infrastructures to develop and test ideas and bring their innovations to the market more quickly”, adding that the Charter is intended to create “better access conditions and tailored services for companies.”
Six principles and voluntary endorsement
The Commission said the Charter sets out six principles for research and technology infrastructures to endorse voluntarily.
These include making services more visible and available, improving transparency and quality, simplifying contracts and agreements, promoting safe management of intellectual property — the legal rights linked to inventions and other creations — providing tailored support for companies, and fostering cooperation between infrastructures, including access to data.
Research and technology infrastructures across Europe have been invited to endorse the Charter and promote its principles.
The Commission said it has also launched an outreach campaign with webinars, events and an open repository of good practices, and it encouraged organisations to share examples of successful approaches through a dedicated website.
