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Research facilities’ understanding of who uses them is patchy, say Katharina Cramer and Nicolas Rüffin
Research facilities such as telescopes, photon sources, magnetic-field laboratories and neutron sources are a vital part of science. These publicly funded research infrastructures provide unique instruments and experimental resources for thousands of scientists worldwide.
At a political level, research infrastructures are seen as a crucial building block of European research. They form anchor points in the further integration of the European Research Area. And they promise significant socioeconomic impacts and opportunities for innovation.