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| Spanish Large-Scale Scientific Infrastructures Roadmap | |
|---|---|
| Name | Spanish Large-Scale Scientific Infrastructures Roadmap |
| Established | 2006 |
| Jurisdiction | Kingdom of Spain |
| Coordinating body | State Research Agency |
Spanish Large-Scale Scientific Infrastructures Roadmap is a strategic national framework that prioritizes, plans, and coordinates the deployment of major research facilities in the Kingdom of Spain, linking national priorities with European and global initiatives. It integrates inputs from institutions such as the Ministry of Science and Innovation, the State Research Agency (Spain), regional governments like the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Comunidad de Madrid, and research organisations such as the Spanish National Research Council and the CSIC. The Roadmap aligns Spain with international programmes including the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures, the Horizon Europe programme, and the European Research Area.
The Roadmap aims to coordinate investments in infrastructures to support competitive projects from entities such as the European Space Agency, the European Southern Observatory, and the CERN member states, while advancing national priorities represented by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas, and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Objectives include strengthening capacities at universities like the University of Barcelona, the Complutense University of Madrid, and the University of Valencia; promoting technology transfer with centres such as the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and the CIEMAT; and ensuring Spain's participation in flagship initiatives like the Square Kilometre Array and the ITER project.
Governance of the Roadmap is exercised by a matrix of actors including the Ministry of Science and Innovation, the State Research Agency (Spain), regional administrations such as the Junta de Andalucía and the Diputación Foral de Bizkaia, and research institutions including the CSIC and the National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology. Funding sources mix national budgets, European funding from programmes like Horizon 2020, private investment from firms such as Telefonica and Iberdrola, and co-funding mechanisms with universities including the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and the Autonomous University of Madrid. Oversight draws on advisory bodies linked to the European Commission, evaluation panels including representatives from the European Research Council, and audit functions akin to the Court of Auditors (Spain).
The Roadmap organises infrastructures into thematic categories: physical sciences exemplified by facilities like the ALBA Synchrotron and projects associated with CERN; life sciences represented by the National Center for Cardiovascular Research and the Centro Nacional de Biotecnología; digital infrastructures anchored by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and the RedIRIS academic network; and environmental infrastructures connected to the Instituto Español de Oceanografía and the AEMET. Strategic priorities include biomedical research linked to the World Health Organization initiatives, renewable energy technologies partnered with European Investment Bank programmes, and space science coordinated with the European Space Agency and the Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya.
National and regional facilities playing central roles include the ALBA Synchrotron in Cerdanyola del Vallès, the Gran Telescopio Canarias at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, the Centro Nacional de Aceleradores in Seville, and the Sincrotrón ALBA collaborations with institutions such as the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB), and the Institute for Astrophysics of Andalusia. Regional universities and research centres like the University of Granada, the Basque Center for Climate Change, and the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics are integrated through agreements with entities such as the Junta de Castilla y León and the Government of the Canary Islands.
Spain leverages the Roadmap to host and participate in multinational projects including membership and partnership roles with the European Southern Observatory, the CERN, and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory. Hosting roles encompass facilities that interact with the Square Kilometre Array pathfinder community, bilateral collaborations with agencies like the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and contributions to multinational consortia coordinated through the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Implementation follows multi-annual cycles aligned with European funding periods such as Framework Programme 7 and Horizon Europe, with periodic updates overseen by panels incorporating representatives from the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures, the European Research Council, and Spanish stakeholders including the State Research Agency (Spain). Project selection uses criteria comparable to those applied by the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey in multinational settings, weighted for scientific excellence, socioeconomic impact, and interoperability with infrastructures like the European Open Science Cloud. Peer review involves experts from institutions such as the Max Planck Society, the Institut Pasteur, and the Francis Crick Institute.
Assessments measure outputs comparable to indicators used by the European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, including publication metrics tied to the Web of Science, patent filings coordinated with the European Patent Office, and innovation spin-offs linked to companies like Siemens and ABB. The Roadmap is credited with strengthening Spain's position in rankings such as those compiled by the Times Higher Education and the Academic Ranking of World Universities, increasing collaborations with entities such as the Wellcome Trust and the Gates Foundation, and catalysing regional development in areas administered by the Junta de Andalucía and the Generalitat Valenciana.