StR-ESFRI4 · Support to Reinforce the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures 4

StR-ESFRI4 is designed to strengthen the strategic and operational efficiency of ESFRI, supporting its evolving role in shaping the European Research Area (ERA) through the implementation of the ESFRI White Paper 2020, the outcomes of the Future of ESFRI in a new ERA workshop in Brno in March-April 2025 and beyond. The project focuses on enhancing ESFRI’s visibility, analytical capabilities, and policy impact, while ensuring alignment with ERA priorities and the broader European research and innovation landscape. Building on the legacy of previous support actions, StR-ESFRI4 aims to continue to provide expert assistance in the preparation of the ESFRI Roadmap and Landscape Analysis, the monitoring of Research Infrastructures (RIs), and the modernisation of the Monitoring System (MoS) platform. It also aims to reinforce ESFRI’s engagement with the broader ecosystem, encompassing RIs, Technology Infrastructures (TIs) and digital infrastructures, towards reinforced global competitiveness of the ERA. StR-ESFRI4 plans to continue supporting the ESFRI relationship with the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), promoting the federation of RIs and fostering researchers’ participation. A key focus of StR-ESFRI4 is to support ESFRI’s contribution to the ERA Policy Agenda, particularly in areas where RIs play a central role. The project will also support ESFRI in contributing towards the coordination and alignment of EU and national priorities for RIs, in line with initial directions of the Brno workshop and follow-up actions. The three and a half years initiative (April 2026–September 2029) brings together a consortium of experienced partners from previous StR-ESFRI projects, namely ATHENA, HIPC, UMIL, with CSIC being fully integrated as a core partner, supporting the ESFRI Chair, EB and other groups for a period of 3 years 2024–2026. New partners will be added via an amendment for the support of the new Chair(s) that will be nominated in 2026 and 2028 or 2029.