Notes from the Big Science Business Forum - 1st Webinar

On account of the Covid-19 pandemic, the BSBF International Organising Committee (IOC) has decided to postpone the BSBF2020 event, which has been rescheduled and transferred to 2021 (28 September to 1 October). In the meantime, a series of webinars are being hosted.

In the 1st Webinar, the presenters gave a detailed overview of the impact of COVID-19 on the work and projects of the research facilities.

One clear message from the webinar was that some issues surfacing during the pandemic may stimulate innovation and new approaches, e.g. finding ways to support SMEs by prolonging deadlines and by offering more flexible conditions during the procurement processes. The importance of unified efforts and collaboration in Europe to counteract the economic effects of the pandemic was also emphasised.
 
The work to establish collaborations is evident in existing projects, for example the PERIIA Network, whose aim is to establish a Pan-European Research Infrastructure ILO Association. This would serve as a coordinator between European industry and Big Science organisations on matters such as procurements, business development, and tech transfer.
 
One interesting question near the end of the webinar raised the issue of how the financing of the research facilities and their experiments can still be motivated as a priority to tax payers and member states. The subsequent discussion concluded that high tech is still playing a major role in business development in Europe.