Research Infrastructures
European Laboratory for Structural Assessment (ELSA) – JRC Ispra site (Italy)
Access to advanced research infrastructures is essential for fostering innovation and tackling complex societal challenges. The JRC’s Open Access initiative promotes knowledge-sharing among researchers, policymakers, and professionals, supporting evidence-based policymaking.
The JRC’s open access research infrastructure programme serves a wide range of users – including Member State institutions, Horizon Europe partners, SMEs, industry, research institutes, and academia – who gain access to world-class labs and equipment in fields like nuclear, chemistry, biosciences, physical sciences, and ICT. This access strengthens research capacity, supports EU strategic goals, and drives scientific progress.
laboratories and research infrastructures.The JRC operates a network of 53 physical
The JRC operates a network of 53 physical laboratories and research infrastructures, most of which are unique at European and international level. JRC’s research infrastructures are located in four sites: Geel (Belgium) Karlsruhe (Germany), Ispra (Italy) and Petten (Netherlands). Of these, 36 are open access. These labs enable experiments, technology testing, and expertise-sharing. Under the JRC Strategy 2030, access to these facilities will expand, fostering transparency, fairness, and meeting diverse stakeholder needs.
The ELSA Reaction Wall is a top-tier facility for full-scale experimental testing, primarily assessing the safety of structures against natural and human-made hazards, such as earthquakes. It is essential in updating the Eurocodes, the European standards for structural design. Key research areas include seismic performance of full-scale buildings, postearthquake fire resilience in steel structures, and automated construction technology for tunnels. In 2023–2024, 28 researchers from universities in Czechia, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Slovenia, Spain, Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia joined training programmes at ELSA. Projects like The Horizon 2020 SERA and Horizon Europe ERIES project have brought 80 users from 20 universities and six industrial partners from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom to ELSA, promoting collaboration in structural and seismic engineering.
The JRC’s European Research Infrastructure (EUFRAT) initiative grants open access to four cutting-edge nuclear laboratories, supporting both emerging and established nuclear scientists and engineers. Facilities like the GELINA high-resolution neutron time-of-flight facility and the HADES enable in-depth studies of neutron-induced reactions and radioactivity. EUFRAT also offers valuable training opportunities for researchers and SMEs. Over 100 projects from Member States have participated, with young students making up 25% of participants. Scientists from France and Romania have used the GELINA facility to study inelastic neutron scattering, which is crucial for developing advanced nuclear reactors, which promise to increase energy efficiency and reduce nuclear waste. Researchers at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK-CEN) report that GELINA’s results are supporting their work on future reactor technologies, nuclear waste transmutation, and producing medical isotopes.
Part of the JRC’s Open Access framework, the Nanobiotechnology Laboratory focuses on critical projects on micro(nano)plastics, advanced materials, and nanomedicines. The flagship laboratory has hosted numerous collaborative projects, including investigating nanoplastics leakage from PET water bottles with the University of Milan and monitoring plastic abundance in Lake Maggiore with theCNR. These collaborations have resulted in significant research outcomes to inform future standardisation and support the European Commission in developing methodologies for detecting microplastics in various water systems. In addition to research, the laboratory engages in training and capacity-building initiatives, collaborating with networks like CERIC and NFFA to promote knowledgesharing and innovation across Europe.
The Actinide User Laboratory (ActUsLab) specialises in heavy elements at the end of the periodic table, essential for nuclear fission technologies in electricity, water management, space exploration, and healthcare. Actinides have complex properties, and understanding them is crucial to safely use civil nuclear technology. ActUsLab collaborates with institutions across Member States; in partnership with Portugal’s Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear (ITN), it developed optimised targets for medical radioisotopes with great potential in treating metastatic cancer. Unique in Europe ActUsLab supports critical nuclear research and trains future scientists in this field.
