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Olof Hallonsten. Photo

Olof Hallonsten

Senior lecturer

Olof Hallonsten. Photo

Research infrastructures in Europe: The hype and the field

Author

  • Olof Hallonsten

Summary, in English

Research Infrastructures (RIs) are tools for scientific research that have received increased attention in science policy in Europe in recent years, including the launch of specific governance bodies and a structured process of prioritization and organization of RI projects in the making. But there is no commonly accepted definition of what RIs are, and the category is both very varied and lacks historical roots. This article provides a historical contextualization of this policy area and discusses, in some detail, different ways of categorizing the 60 RIs identified by EU-level governance bodies as strategically important for Europe as a whole. Showing that the concept of RIs is a political construct with little analytical value for assessing the role and function of RIs in science and innovation systems, the article paves the way for more conceptually and analytically stringent studies of the politics of RIs in Europe.

Department/s

  • Research Policy
  • Organizational Studies

Publishing year

2020

Language

English

Pages

617-635

Publication/Series

European Review

Volume

28

Issue

4

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Topic

  • Business Administration

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1062-7987