Timeline

METROFOOD-RI was cited as emerging project in the ESFRI Roadmap 2016 and in 2017 completed its Early Phase upon the EU-funded PRO-METROFOOD project. During this phase, METROFOOD-RI has performed a detailed Design and Feasibility Study, including an inventory of the available facilities, an analysis of the physical-RI and e-RI services, the development of two pilot services, Quality Systems and Data Management Plans, an analysis of users and stakeholders, a users’ strategy and access policy, and plans for training.

Subsequently, it was included in the ESFRI Roadmap 2018 as “project” and its “Preparatory Phase” was completed in May 2022 upon the EU H2020 METROFOOD-PP project (GA 871083). The preparatory phase project METROFOOD-PP (01 Dec 2019 - 31 May 2022) aimed to move METROFOOD from a research-based network of facilities and skills to a mature, centrally coordinated, integrated RI, with the legal, financial, and technical maturity required for implementing it. The main outcome of the preparatory phase was meant to be the establishment of legal and financial commitment for the future ERIC, ensuring long-term common commitment, decision-making and funding engagement.

The ERIC Step 1 application was submitted to the EC in January 2023.

Currently, METROFOOD-RI is undertaking its Early Phase Implementation upon the HEu METROFOOD-EPI project (GA 101130162). The Early Phase Implementation project METROFOOD-EPI (01 Jan 2024 – 31 Dec 2024), was established with the overarching mission to build METROFOOD-RI as an infrastructure consolidated for its full implementation and to begin the operational phase, addressing any critical issues and bottlenecks that have emerged during the METROFOOD-PP project. The project is focused on four specific objectives: support the establishment of the legal entity that will manage the RI, specify the technical implementation of the RI as service-oriented, consolidate its position in the landscape, and secure long-term sustainability. METROFOOD-EPI acts on four layers, covering: ERIC set-up (including membership consolidation, governance establishment, securing funding, and distributed architecture); technical organisation and implementation of the RI for its operation (including a definition of user requirement specifications for the e-component and set-up of the core components, data management solutions, access, and services); consolidation of the RI’s positioning in the agrifood research & innovation landscape (including an update of the scientific strategy and contribution to the ERA, community building, and liaising with other complementary initiatives); long-term scientific & financial sustainability (including impact, risk managemfent, and user engagement).