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Point of attraction: The Globe of Science and Innovation is an extension of the visitor center at CERN near Geneva.
Top European researchers are shocked that the EU kicked Switzerland out of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures. The reason for this step was the planned framework agreement with the EU, which Switzerland broke in 2021.
For the European scientific elite, however, this is no reason to exclude Switzerland from research. Robert-Jan Smits, President of Eindhoven University of Technology (NL) and former Director General for Research and Innovation of the EU Commission, says on sciencebusiness.net: “I find this shocking and bad news for European science.”
“Too obedient to the EU Commission”
John Wood, a former ESFRI chairman, describes the exclusion of Switzerland as “absurd”. It seems almost “wicked” to him. Since Great Britain and Switzerland, two “important science countries” are excluded, the ESFRI can no longer claim to represent the European research infrastructure.
Wood accuses the ESFRI of degenerating from a free organization of the EU member states into a body that is too dependent on the EU Commission. “You should decide, not the politicians,” he said. The ESFRI is now making “judgments about things instead of being an open discussion forum”.
Wood predicts that after Switzerland leaves, research discussions will increasingly take place in bilateral talks and thus outside of the ESFRI. “ESFRI has done a great job, but I wonder where it’s going.”
ESFRI was created in 2002 to replace an opaque system in which the EU’s major science powers decide on infrastructure needs behind closed doors.
Forum considers adjustment
Jana Kolar, ESFRI chair, emphasized that research and innovation cooperation between the EU and Switzerland is part of international relations and that a return of Switzerland to ESFRI – even just as an observer – “depends on political decisions at the highest level”.
EU Research Commissioner Mariya Gabriel calls for Switzerland to get involved in broader talks again. “We look forward to renewing Switzerland’s participation and re-involving them at all levels as soon as possible to enable closer collaboration.”
It is possible that there will soon be a rapprochement. According to Gabriel, the ESFRI is currently carrying out “general considerations on its work with third countries”. The result, which could also redefine the relationship with Switzerland, is expected this year.
Switzerland is an important research location
Switzerland is strongly integrated into the landscape of European research infrastructures and CERN is based in Geneva. There are also other highly developed infrastructures in Switzerland, such as the facilities of the Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen AG, the Swiss Plasma Center in Lausanne, the Swiss Center for Scientific Computing in Lugano or the high-alpine research station Jungfraujoch.
It is also an active member of the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Southern Observatory and, as a founding member and depositary, of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory. (gf)