Empowering the industry multipliers

The ENRIITC project strives to optimise the societal impact of Research Infrastructures by improving the engagement between RIs and industry in EU Member States.

Faced with the effects of the war in Ukraine, inflation and raw material bottlenecks, the European states are grappling with the delivery of ambitious Next Generation EU post-pandemic recovery projects in the midst of also a rising energy crisis and green transition ambitions.

Interest is strong in exploiting the innovation potential of RIs that are increasingly recognised as potential key partners for companies developing cutting-edge new health, green and digital transformation applications and services across industrial sectors.

In this scenario of heightened expectations and new opportunities for both RIs and companies, the ENRIITC “hub and spoke” model presented in the report D3.1, of pan-EU, one-stop-shop innovation officers’ multiplier network and support service working specifically to spur new RI-industry connections is poised to play an increasingly important role.

And with these structures on the table, the role of the principal multiplier persons, Industrial Liaisons Officers working at a national level and Industrial Contact Officers employed at the RIs, should be defined more closely.

The new ENRIITC report D3.5 offers a set of recommendations in the form of a vademecum of practical steps and Key Performance Indicators for focusing the effort of ICOs and ILOs and maximizing the impact.

The report makes specific recommendations of actions to:

• Strengthen RIs role as key players and partners in the wider European innovation ecosystem
• Professionalise and standardise the ILO and ICO competencies, job descriptions, training and career paths in Europe
• Prioritise duties, initiatives and KPIs ILOs and ICOs need to undertake to make the ENRIITC Strategy for RI-Industry Cooperation (detailed in D3.2) a success
• Help bridge the innovation gap by supporting the early development of key technologies for use in new societal applications.