Assessment of the Process of Using and Sharing Research Infrastructure in Knowledge-Intensive Sectors

Abstract

Research infrastructure plays a critical role in supporting scientific research, innovation, and university–industry collaboration. As investments in research infrastructure continue to increase, ensuring effective access to, coordination of, and sharing of research resources has become an important prerequisite for enhancing research performance, innovation capacity, and university–industry cooperation. However, a major challenge lies in the fragmented management of research infrastructure, insufficient coordination among organizational units, non-standardized reservation procedures, and limited visibility of available equipment and services. These barriers reduce infrastructure utilization efficiency, create obstacles for internal and external users, and limit the potential benefits that research infrastructure can generate for scientific research and innovation activities. This study aims to assess the process of using and sharing research infrastructure in knowledge-intensive sectors and to develop recommendations for improving the efficiency of research infrastructure utilization through the integration of reservation, usage monitoring, incentive, and coordination mechanisms. To achieve this aim, the research tasks included analyzing the scientific literature on shared research infrastructure management and factors promoting collaboration; examining the current state of research infrastructure management and accessibility in knowledge-intensive organizations by identifying key process gaps and sources of inefficiency; and developing recommendations for improving research infrastructure management and sharing processes. The study employed research methods including scientific literature analysis, expert evaluation, in-depth interviews, and process analysis. Based on the research findings, key barriers to effective infrastructure utilization were identified, including fragmented management practices, limited equipment visibility, insufficient usage monitoring, lack of centralized reservation systems, and coordination challenges between organizational units. As a result, recommendations were developed for improving infrastructure accessibility, strengthening coordination mechanisms, enhancing equipment utilization monitoring, and supporting more efficient sharing of research resources among internal and external users. The proposed improvements are expected to increase equipment utilization rates, reduce resource duplication, facilitate university– industry collaboration, and contribute to a more efficient and sustainable research infrastructure ecosystem.