With the next Roadmap of European Research Infrastructures, foreseen for publication in 2021, ESFRI will end the second cycle of its Roadmaps, comprising the editions of 2006, 2008, 2010, 2016 and 2018. The last two editions have demonstrated clearly how the landscape of research infrastructures in Europe has evolved and matured.

As demonstrated through the work on long-term sustainability of research infrastructures over the last three years, the facilities that have now become operational face very different challenges to the ones early in their lifecycle.

Recognising the nature of these challenges and responding to the invitation of the Competitiveness Council to strengthen its strategic role, ESFRI started a comprehensive reflection process on the role of research infrastructures and ESFRI itself in the evolving European Research Area.

The objective of this workshop is to discuss with the research infrastructures, thematic clusters and other stakeholders a number of key topics that emerged through this process in a view of preparing a formal ESFRI document in December 2019.