Role and value of user base around large-scale research facilities

The paper summarises how research infrastructures depending on size, sector and the latest technical and organisational achievements develop their user base and what is the role of increased high quality user base for the development of research infrastructures.The aim of this study is further to analyse pre-conditions for the development of sustainable and long-term collaboration around existing or new large-scale research infrastructures, to assess catalysing mechanisms for the growth of local and transnational user base as an efficient new knowledge creation, commercialisation and innovation base around RIs. The research was conducted in seven steps: 1) clarification of definitions and understanding of terms and concepts; 2) analysis of common operational models and typologies of research infrastructure; 3) selection ofsectors in relevant areas of research infrastructure; 4) analysis of selected cases of research infrastructure objects in the Baltic Sea Region in three priority areas; 5) design of the performance metrix of research infrastructure; 6) validation of obtained conclusions by executing interviews with researchers and coordinators, and 7) aggregated analysis on factors determining demand and supply sides for large-scale research facilities with the aim to develop recommendations increasing the use of the facility.The last also includes elaborated analysis of the governance models for the research infrastructure. The research provides the indicator system and system-based algorithm for further deeper analysis for the large research facility operation, performance and increase of its capacity. The designed analytical approach allows to develop bundled recommendations for better fine-tuned policy measures to support operations of large scale facilities as sources of frontier science, new innovations and new knowledge concentration at national and local level.