Coordination of large research facilities in the Netherlands

Abstract

The last 10-15 years, many scientific breakthroughs were enabled through large research facilities. However, the Netherlands is weak in coordinating her research facilities. Therefore, this research is conducted to identify what influences the activities of coordination. The activities that are subject to coordination are the incorporation of (external) interests and the extent of flexibility of the research planning. The characteristics of knowledge production are expected to influence these activities. These characteristics vary per scientific fields. Therefore two distinct fields are investigated to identify to what extent the different characteristics influence the coordination activities. The scientific fields that are subject to this study are astrophysics and nanotechnology. This explanatory multi-case study was the first to investigate this relation. From multiple theories six characteristics of knowledge production are derived and connected to the two activities of coordination. The results of this study prove that large research facilities belonging to nanotechnology are characterized by a higher amount of industrial actors, a higher rate of diversity, a higher rate of interdisciplinarity and a lower collaboration intensity between scientists than facilities belonging to astrophysics. These outcomes are associated with the amount of steering actors, which is higher for the nanotechnology cases. In order to collaborate with these actors, the managers of the large research facilities are pushed to adjust their selection of research topics, which requires a flexible research planning.The characteristics of nanotechnology cause a flexible research planning and the characteristics of astrophysics cause a more rigid research planning. Based on these findings implications and suggestions for further research are provided.