Objectives
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 5 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.
The aim of HYDRALAB is
- to support the integrated provision of infrastructure related services to the research community at a European level
- to better structure the fabric of European hydraulic research by promoting the coherent use and development of infrastructures in the fields it covers
- to improve the long-term integrating effect on the way research infrastructures are developed and utilised in the fields of Hydraulics, Geophysical hydrodynamics, Environmental fluid dynamics, Ship dynamics and Ice engineering (in this proposal abbreviated to HyGESI) operate, (which was already started by HYDRALAB-II), thereby contributing to the goal of structuring the European Research Area
- to develop a balanced methodology for using the various research tools available for the hydraulic research world, summarised in the term “Composite modelling”.
All HYDRALAB-III Access participants have one common selection panel and have agreed on uniform procedures with respect to selection and performance of access to their facilities (see access rules).
Moreover we have provided the European Community periodically with a comparison between the scientific needs for access against the availability and an inventory of relevant Infrastructure available in Europe (see inventory).