Swedish contribution to EPOS-ERIC

We propose a Swedish membership in and a contribution to the European Plate Observing System (EPOS)-European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC).

EPOS-ERIC is the single, genuinely pan-European, distributed research infrastructure for data and facilities related to studies of the entire Solid Earth. As such, it has a volume similar to the combined volume of the four atmospheric ESFRI projects/ERICs together.

EPOS will facilitate all Swedish basic and applied scientific activities that have a connection to the solid Earth as it provides added value for all data users (researchers) and data providers by homogenised broad access to open/FAIR data and an increased visibility/utilisation of data. Thus, EPOS is addressing the basic needs of universities, research institutes, the public sector and industry.

Research that profits from EPOS may address challenges like unravelling the Earth´s origin and internal processes and how they interact with and affect the hydro-, bio- and atmospheres and near space.

This includes consequences for humankind in form of, e.g., climate and natural disasters, and their direct and indirect effects on safety, habitability and industrial/infrastructure/other development, amongst others.

The sustainable supply of natural resources and energy, including environmental consequences, are another such challenge.In this application (19.3 MSEK/5y total value), we propose a combination international and national research infrastructure: a Swedish membership in EPOS-ERIC (6.3 MSEK, exact sum to be negotiated by VR) and its management in a consortium with coordination and outreach to the Swedish user and data provider communities (2.5 MSEK) as (participation in) international research infrastrucutre; In addition to this membership, thematic nodes are required that provide Swedish data to EPOS-ERIC infrastructure.

The latter are regarded as national research infrastructure with a cost of 9.5 MSEK, of which 6.3 MSEK will be provided as co-funding.