Project supported by:
ELI-DC and the future ELI-ERIC:structure, status, current plans and current unknowns
Wolfgang SandnerDirector General, ELI Delivery Consortium AISBL
HEPTech Workshop on Building an ELI-Centric Academia-Industry EcosystemPrague, April 7, 2014
ELI’s essential characteristics
ELI will be the world’s first international laser research infrastructure,
providing unique science and research opportunities for international users
“The CERN of laser research”
a distributed research infrastructure based initially on 3 facilities in CZ, HU and RO
the first ESFRI project to be implemented in the new EU Member States
pioneering a novel funding model combining structural funds (ERDF) for the implementation and contributions to an ERIC for the operation
ELI‘s Roadmap
ELI-PPESFRI
ELI-NP
ELI-Beamlines
ELI-ALPS
joint operationinitiation
20172011 2013
ELI-DC International Association
parallel implementation
2008
ELI
ELI- ERIC
ELI
initiationinitiationparallel
implementationinitiationjoint
operationinitiationjoint
operationinitiationjoint
operationinitiation
PP MoU ELI- ERIC
Financial structure
20172011 2013
ELI-DC International Association
2008
PP MoU ELI- ERIC
joint operation
parallel implementationinitiation
~ 6 M€Prep. Phase
~ 850 M€ totalEU Structural Funds
(CZ, RO approved / HU applied for)
60-80 M€ /aELI-ERIC(pending)
ERIC negotiations
Project supported by:
Brief overview over science and status of the ELI project
in the three host countries
Attosecond Laser Science, will capitalize on new regimes of time resolution (ELI-ALPS, Szeged, HU)
• High-Energy Beam Facility, responsible for development and application of ultra-short pulses of high-energy particles and radiation (ELI-Beamlines, Prague, CZ)
• Nuclear Physics Facility with ultra-intense laser and brilliant gamma beams (up to 19 MeV) enabling novel photonuclear studies (ELI-NP, Magurele, RO)
•Ultra-High-Field Science centred on direct physics of the unprecedented laser field strength (ELI 4, to be decided)
New and complementary science,unique research opportunitites
?
Structural Funds approved in Sept. 2012
Projected completion date: IV 2017
Building under construction
Scientific Director appointed, Technical Director tba;
staff hiring in progress (~50)
Major equipment procured (two 10PW lasers)
Tender for Gamma sourcein progress
ELI Nuclear Physics in Romania
Structural Funds expected to be approved in IV 2013
Projected completion date: IV 2017
Building contract to be concluded
Scientific Director appointed, staff hiring in progress (~25)
Major workpackages contracted to
international laboratories
Major equipment procurement under preparation (SYLOS, HF)
Final Technical Design Reportunder preparation
ELI Attosecond Physics in Hungary
Structural Funds approved in April 2011
Projected completion date: IV 2017(phasing negotiations in progress)
Building under construction
Project Delivery Manager (AS) appointedLarge local organisation and staff (~200)
Major equipment procured/under construction(diode-pumped, 10Hz PW laser L3 / L1)
Tender for 10PW laser L4 in progress, Second PW laser L2 in preparation
ELI Beamlines in the Czech Republic
ELI is pioneering a novel funding model by combining the use of structural
funds (ERDF) for the implementation and formation of an ERIC for the
operation
Why doing it?How can it ever work?
What is the consequence for future ELI strategies and policies?
Why doing it?
• Structural funds are allocated at the national level through 3 separate processes and grant agreements
- ELI construction proceeds faster than through an ERIC!
- “lean ELI-ERIC” for later operation only
• Grant beneficiaries (ELI-Hu, IoP, IFIN-HH) are individually responsible for the implementation of the 3 ELI facilities
“lean governance” model for constructing a distributed RI
• ERDF: introduces additional objectives of socio-economic development for the hosting regions (besides RI objectives)
- added value for both the ERA and regional development
- return of investment for the host country
How can it work?Any examples?
ELI-PPESFRI
ELI-NP
ELI-Beamlines
ELI-ALPS
joint operationinitiation
20172011 2013
parallel implementation
2008
ELI
ELI- ERIC
ELI
initiationinitiationparallel
implementationinitiationjoint
operationinitiationjoint
operationinitiationjoint
operationinitiation
1) The biggest remaining challenge:
“Selling” the product to an international ERIC Consortium for sponsoring and operating ELI-ERIC after the implementation phase (after 2017)
2) If it works: The governance, strategies and policies of ELI-ERIC during the operational phase will be completely different from those of the construction phase. Apart from basic principles they are yet unknown.Neither predictions nor any commitments can be made at the present stage.
ELI-PPESFRI
ELI-NP
ELI-Beamlines
ELI-ALPS
Single unified governance under
yet unknown contractual rules
initiation
20172011 2013
ELI-DC International Association
National SF contracts
plus ELI-DC
2008
ELI
ELI- ERIC
ELI
initiationinitiationinitiationinitiationConsensusBasedInitiation & preparation
PP MoU ELI- ERIC
Three legal lives of a project
Future ELI-ERIC’s basic principles
Joint operation of the ELI facilities under a unified legal entity and governance
• Financially sustainable operation based on contributions from the host countries and other countries
• One legal entity, ELI-ERIC, governing the operation of all three research centres => finding a new balance between national and international responsibilities, while still observing the legal commitments from ERDF
• Common policies for operation, access, data management, dissemination, quality control etc
• Operation as a single user facility, open for international access with world-class research opportunities, highest scientific standards and high-quality scientific output
Why is ELI different from other international research infrastructures
in that respect?
Remember: ELI is pioneering a novel funding model combining the use of structural funds
(ERDF) for the implementation and formation of an ERIC for the operation
Structural funds for a distributed RIA “clash of cultures”?
DG Research & Innovation: RIs are “Tools for science”
“RIs are a key instrument to look for solutions to many of the problems society is facing today. RIs offer unique research services to users from different countries, attract young people to science, and help to shape scientific communities.”
DG Regio: Research excellence per se is no objective for Cohesion Policy, but just a tool for competitiveness and growth “The Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund are the financial instruments of European Union (EU) regional policy, which is intended to narrow the developmentdisparities among regions and Member States.”
They must be integral part of strategies, not "cathedrals in the desert" & large-scale budget absorbers
They must be dentified in an entrepreneurial discovery process, not just desired by academia & researchers
Research excellence per se is no objective for Cohesion Policy, but just a tool for competitiveness and growth
Key RI should be designed / transformed into crystallisation points for economic change and growth: clusters, technology parks, incubators, firm cooperation
Importance of international attractiveness & connectedness: private investors & brain-gain
Evaluation, evaluation, evaluation!
Research infrastructures in support of RIS3
Katja ReppelCC smart and sustainable growthDG Regional and Urban Policy
DG Regio’s political view
Management challenge
Management challengeduring implementation
• Several layers of responsibilities and interests to protect and combine:
• Pan-European dimension, scientific excellence and global scientific competitiveness under unified governance – the ESFRI objective
versus• Legal responsibility of the sites during the implementation plus• Emphasis on socio-economic benefits and national
development within the hosting countries due to ERDF commitments
• Political and administrative obstacles:• No synchronisation of operational programmes (OP) in different
countries
• Conflict with SF time frames imposed by EC (“cash flow versus quality”?)
• Non-uniform priorities in the science-economy balance
• Risk of a loss of larger international commitment during implementation
• Need for coordination between implementation teams to prepare joint and high-quality operation and ensure overall scientific coherence
• Preparation of ERIC negotiations in parallel with implementation
• Staged approach to ERIC: at some point a clear transition of responsibilities and governance from national authorities towards ERIC has to take place (“disruptive transition”).
=> Need for an interim structure at the European level to address these challenges and risks:
Specific risks and needs
The ELI Delivery ConsortiumInternational Association AISBL
• Legal form: international non-profit association under Belgian law (AISBL), established Juli 2013 and operational since September.
• Open to all interested countries besides the ELI Host Countries
• Main missions:• Promoting the effective development and visibility of ELI as a
single pan-European project• Supporting the implementation of the existing and future ELI
research centres and their coordinated preparation of operation• Preparing and coordinating the establishment of the ELI-ERIC
parallel to the implementation process
• Decentralised organisation with staff “embedded” in the three implementation teams and use of cutting-edge e-infrastructure solutions for virtual collaboration
ELI-DC Organisation
Membership statusI / 2014
Members of the ELI-DC AISBL
Membership under consideration
Expressions of interest
Summary and lessons learned
Structural Funds appear, in principle, to be an excellent funding model for the swift construction of ESFRI RIs, for strengthening the ERA and for fostering synergies between the socio-economic and scientific objectives.
In addition, Structural Funds are a well-established funding mechanisms for large-scale projects on both the national and the EC level.
Structural Funds
However:
High-risk projects such as world-class research infrastructures are a new and different class of Structural Funds "clients" and require substantial (!) adaptation of procedures and cultures - both on the EC and national levels - in order not to fail.
Structural FundsStructural Funds
In addition:
Concepts for the transition between the construction phase, dominated by national governance and ERDF regulations, and the operation phase, dominated by unified governance under an ERIC agreement, need to be developed.
This includes scientific, operational, financial and legal concepts, as well as concepts for academia-industry liaisons.
Transition towards ERIC
Conclusion
• ELI is unique in many respects, particularly pioneering the combination of scientific excellence with socio-economic objectives across national borders. Hence, the development of concepts towards an ELI-centric academia-industry ecosystem is timely and appropriate.• On a national level such ecosystems can be implemented immediately. One must observe, however, that the governance of the ELI pillars will be handed over to ELI-ERIC after 2018.
• Any trans-national activity at the ELI-ERIC level, shall it be sustainable beyond 2017, requires integration into the trans-national governance model and, hence, early integration into ELI’s negotiations towards the ELI-ERIC.
