LEAPS, the League of European Accelerator-based Photon Sources, has outlined its recommendations for the upcoming European Research Area (ERA) Act, calling for bold and actionable measures to strengthen Europe’s scientific leadership, competitiveness, and innovation capacity.
As Europe’s leading synchrotrons and free-electron lasers facilities, LEAPS members support thousands of researchers from across Europe and beyond, providing world-class research infrastructures that foster scientific excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration, and technological innovation.
LEAPS strongly supports the objectives of the ERA and highlights the importance of a coherent policy framework to reinforce excellence and long-term impact across the European research ecosystem.
Among its key recommendations, LEAPS calls for:
• Increased and predictable public investment in research and innovation, including a binding commitment for Member States to invest at least 3% of GDP in R&I.
• Stronger European coordination of RIs, aligning EU, national, and regional funding instruments to support long-term sustainability and upgrades.
• Reinforcement of ESFRI as the central strategic coordination platform for European research infrastructures.
• Reduced administrative burden for research infrastructures and researchers, particularly regarding cross-border mobility and regulatory compliance.
• Simplified visa and mobility procedures for researchers from non-EU countries.
• Support for transparency and accountability in the use of artificial intelligence in research.
• Strengthened support for Diamond Open Access publishing and FAIR research data practices.
• Long-term support for research infrastructures of European relevance to ensure continued scientific excellence and technological evolution.
LEAPS emphasises that sustained investment in RIs is essential for Europe to address global challenges, foster innovation, and remain at the forefront of scientific discovery.
The full LEAPS Position on the ERA Act is available on the website.
Photo credits: OpenAI
