As of December 2017, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) will open the doors of its laboratories and facilities to researchers from both public and private sectors.  Academic actors and research organisations, industry, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), will be granted access to JRC facilities across Europe to advance JRC strategic objectives of:

- enhancing the dissemination of scientific knowledge;
- boosting competitiveness; and
- bridging the gap between research and industry.

Three facilities in Ispra (Italy), in a pilot initiative, are already hosting visitors through dedicated calls, and further JRC localities in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands will gradually provide access after the completion of the pilot phase in 2017-2018.

Access will be granted in areas aligned with the JRC’s strategic priorities and on the basis of a ‘relevance-driven’ evaluation process. Following a call for proposals, applications will be assessed in a peer-review selection process by a panel of experts, on criteria such as excellence and feasibility. By opening its doors, the JRC aims to accommodate the significant interest shown in the last years by a range of external stakeholders wishing to benefit from the JRC infrastructures to advance their work on key economic and societal challenges, and to support European collaboration across research and industry.  

JRC - Open access to JRC Research Infrastructures (dedicated public portal)