ELI-ALPS Visit ESS for Best Practice Exchange on ERIC Governance

The group comprising of Lóránt Lehrner, Managing Director; Prof. Károly Osvay, Research Technology Director; and financial and legal personnel of ELI-ALPS met with ESS staff on 2 June 2016 to learn about European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) governance, and to discuss the experience of ESS with its recent transition to an ERIC. Information regarding tax regulations, mobility of international staff, use of structural funds, and in-kind contributions were of particular interest to the ELI-ALPS delegation.

ESS officially changed its legal status to an ERIC in October 2015. By doing so, it became the first ERIC established in Scandinavia and the eleventh in Europe. ERIC is a type of legal entity created by the European Commission for governing international research facilities and supporting the creation of appropriate partnership for forefront research development.

Ensuring a smooth ERIC implementation within the ESS project partners is one of the objectives of BrightnESS. EU Member States currently have limited experience with the ERIC model. Data relevant to the setting up and running of an ERIC will be made accessible for verification and re-use on the BrightnESS website with the aim to provide best practice catalyst for research facilities such as ELI-ALPS.

Once its construction is complete, the distributed research facility ELI-ALPS with pillars in Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania, will make a wide range of ultrashort light sources accessible to international scientific community of users.