The primary objective of the study was to assess the user experience of the research infrastructure included in Estonia’s 2019 Research Infrastructure Roadmap, by examining its accessibility, service quality, and overall user satisfaction. The goal was to understand how well these infrastructure facilities meet the needs of users and support research and development activities.
The study included a survey of research infrastructure users and staff, including managers, as well as interviews with infrastructure leaders.
It was found that although access is generally good, many users are unaware of their institution’s affiliation with the research infrastructure. Access is mainly gained through research and higher education institutions, but also through websites and personal contacts, the latter being particularly important for companies.
Users of physical infrastructures face more access issues compared to users of e-infrastructures, where dissatisfaction stems from the speed of IT systems and data availability.
The study also revealed that the research infrastructure significantly supports research and development, enhancing collaboration with businesses and contributing to the resolution of societal issues. As a result of the infrastructure, new research groups, topics, and methodologies have emerged.
Interdisciplinary collaboration is becoming increasingly important, particularly between various fields and the domains of information technology and computational capacity. A large portion of the infrastructure is also impacted by developments in artificial intelligence, the production and use of machine-readable data, and similar trends. However, the greatest challenge is ensuring stable and continuous funding.
The main recommendations are to improve communication to raise user awareness, strengthen cooperation with the private sector, and reduce the administrative burden associated with reporting. It is also recommended that the Estonian Research Council take a leadership role in promoting infrastructure and ensure systematic funding to support the functioning and development of the research infrastructure.