ACTRIS-PPP (Preparatory Phase Project) represented the strategic step toward establishing ACTRIS (Aerosols, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure) as a fully operational, centrally coordinated pan-European Research Infrastructure. Following the inclusion of ACTRIS in the ESFRI Roadmap in 2016, the Preparatory Phase was launched to enable the transition from a project-based network to a sustainable, legally established European infrastructure.
ACTRIS brings together distributed National Facilities – observation and exploratory platforms across Europe and beyond – and Central Facilities, including a Head Office, a Data Centre, and Calibration Centres. Through these components, it provides open access to high-quality data, research services, instrument calibration, technology development, and training for a broad range of users, from the scientific community to policy stakeholders and industry.
The main objective of ACTRIS-PPP was to develop the organizational, legal, governance, financial, operational, and strategic frameworks required for the formal establishment of the infrastructure. The project united research-performing organizations, funding agencies, and ministries to define decision-making structures and long-term sustainability plans. Its key outcomes included signature-ready documents for the creation of a legal entity, clearly defined operational procedures, and a robust business plan, laying the foundation for ACTRIS as a long-term European research infrastructure supporting climate, air quality, and environmental policy.