METROFOOD-RI is a distributed research infrastructure (RI) that promotes scientific excellence in food quality and safety. It provides metrology services in food and nutrition across various highly interdisciplinary, interconnected fields along the food value chain, such as agrifood, sustainable development, food safety, quality, traceability and authenticity, environmental safety, and human health. In May 2022, it completed its preparatory phase upon the H2020 METROFOOD-PP project (GA871083). However, a few bottlenecks were identified in the final evaluation report; furthermore, the consortium prepared plans for the next short- and medium-term phases and the Board of Governmental representatives proposed several suggestions. METROFOOD-EPI was established with the overarching mission to build METROFOOD-RI as an infrastructure consolidated for its full implementation and to begin the operational phase, addressing any critical issues. Four specific objectives have been identified: support the establishment of the legal entity that will manage the RI, specify the technical implementation of the RI as service-oriented, consolidate its position in the landscape and secure long-term sustainability.
METROFOOD-EPI will act on four layers, covering: ERIC set-up, including membership consolidation, governance establishment, securing funding, and distributed architecture; technical organisation and implementation of the RI for its operation, including a definition of user requirement specifications for the e-component and set-up of the core components, data management solutions, access, and services; consolidation of the RI’s positioning in the agrifood research & innovation landscape, including an update of the scientific strategy and contribution to the ERA, community building, and liaising with other complementary initiatives; long-term scientific & financial sustainability, including impact, risk management and user engagement