The trans-national access in FP7 and H2020: A tool for sensor testing, observing system validation and collaborative research

In the framework of the FP7 and H2020 European calls for infrastructure integrating activities, a significant role is ascribed to transnational access. The integrated infrastructures should be open, in a collaborative way, to offer free access to user teams other than the internal ones. In this context, JERICO and FixO3 are infrastructure projects which propose access to coastal or open-ocean observatories such as buoys, piles, gliders, ferrybox, underwater observatories and ocean sensor calibration facilities. Through the transnational access, user groups, including non-European members, have the opportunity to establish scientific collaborations with the access providers, in an international framework. Besides being an opportunity for scientists, e.g. to collect new observations or test new methodologies, the transnational access offers also in-situ bench marks to industry and academy for testing prototypes and/or adapting existing instrumentation to new targeted uses. This paper sums up the main concepts of access in European integrated infrastructure projects and examples from JERICO and FixO³ projects.