History

The Infrastructure Network HYDRALAB started in 1997 as a Concerted Action (1997-2000) and continued as a network HYDRALAB-II (2000-2004). Both focus on the hydraulics, geophysical fluid dynamics, ship dynamics and ice engineering facilities and were supported by the European Commission in FP4 and FP5 respectively. After March 2004 HYDRALAB continued as an Infrastructure Network at the own cost of the participating partners.

In April 2006 HYDRALAB-III started as an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative (I3), i.e. an integrated programme of Networking activities, Transnational Access to 22 unique and/or rare facilities and two Joint Research Activities.
A total of 69 Transnational Access projects were carried out by more than 500 researchers from across Europe. Together with the two Joint Research Activities by the Hydralab partners this has led to a huge amount of publications.

Hydralab-III ended in April 2010, to view the hydralabIII website click on the logo. HydralabIII

The current Hydralab project runs from October 2010 until October 2014, in which 22 partners and 8 associated partners form a coherent network of research institutes in the field of hydraulics, geophysical fluid dynamics, environmental research and ice engineering.
The scope of Hydralab is reflected in its theme More than water. It comprises the following elements:

  • Water and environmental elements (focusing on ecology and biology)
  • Water and sediment
  • Water and structures
  • Water and ice

The Transnational Access activities enable international groups of researchers from across Europe to use our rare and unique experimental facilities which they normally do not have access to. Both the costs of the use of the facility and its personnel, and the travel and subsistence costs of the visiting researchers are covered by Hydralab.

An example of our Networking Activities are our dissemination events, with which we foster a culture of co-operation between the participants and the wider user community. These events are held peridiodically at the location of different partners of the Network.

The Joint Research Activities focus on improving the capabilities of the experimental facilities, the research methods and instrumentation. In HydralabIV we have 4 Joint Research Activities: