Innovation in the ENVRI community grows through real collaboration between research infrastructures, research organisations, and industry partners.
Below are examples of how joint development, shared expertise, and open innovation pipelines are delivering new technologies and services with real impact.
These pilots demonstrate how:
- Co-development accelerates innovation, from prototype to field deployment.
- RIs provide unique facilities, expertise, and validation environments that industry cannot access alone.
- Joint innovation reduces risk for SMEs by linking them with scientific excellence.
- Collaboration creates new services and technologies that support environmental research, policy, and industry needs.
Together, they highlight the power of collaboration and the role of the ENVRI community in driving technological and service innovation.
Success stories
Detecting Methane Leaks with Drone-Based Sensors
Partners: ACTRIS (Cyprus Institute), ICOS (CEA), ABB LGR (Instrument provider)
Innovation Area: Technology infrastructure & environmental monitoring
A new drone-mounted methane detection system is being co-developed to help the waste management and natural gas sectors reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Research teams built a prototype using advanced gas sensors and a 3D sonic anemometer, then worked with industry to define performance requirements and safety standards.
The system is now moving from laboratory development to field validation, including test flights near operational emission sources.
This pilot showcases how RIs can provide state-of-the-art facilities, expertise, and testing environments to industry partners developing next-generation environmental tools.
Miniaturising High-Precision Ozone Instruments
Partners: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), VBE Electronics (SME)
Innovation Area: Tech-Boost pipeline & instrument co-design
A long-standing ozone detection instrument used on research aircraft is being transformed through co-development with an SME.
Together, the partners are redesigning the control electronics to make the instrument smaller, lighter, faster to deploy, and capable of delivering pre-assessed data quality.
The collaboration includes shared design specifications, jointly developed testing procedures, and coordinated certification steps for airborne use.
This pilot demonstrates how RIs and SMEs can shorten the development-to-deployment cycle and bring advanced monitoring technologies to broader user communities.
Urban Air Quality Mapping
Partners: University of Helsinki, local air quality authorities, multiple RIs
Innovation Area:Scientific service development
Researchers are creating a dense network of particle counters to monitor aerosol number concentrations across Helsinki.
The pilot involves close cooperation with local authorities, combining fixed stations with mobile measurement routes to fill observational gaps.
This service aims to support cities and environmental agencies with more detailed, real-time urban air quality information.
Monitoring Plant Stress with Drone and Optical Sensors
Partners: University of Helsinki, local air quality authorities, multiple RIs
Innovation area: Scientific service development
New optical techniques—including hyperspectral cameras and fluorescence sensors— are undergoing testing to detect plant stress. Measurements are performed in field and greenhouse environments, providing insights into drought impacts and ecosystem productivity. The work illustrates how emerging technologies and RI expertise can open new service possibilities for ecological monitoring and climate research.
Towards Harmonised Soil Moisture Monitoring Across Europe
Partners: UFZ and multiple ENGVI RIs
Innovation area: Intra-RI technological development
Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensing (CRNS) is an innovative method to measure soil moisture at landscape scale.
Although powerful, the method requires specialised data processing and calibration.
This pilot is developing an open, ready-to-use software tool for processing and visualising CRNS data, enabling consistent use across research infrastructures.
The co-development process involves defining common user needs, harmonising methodologies between RIs, and testing the software in different environmental settings.
The goal is to provide a shared, community-driven technology that can be adopted widely inside and outside the ENVRI ecosystem.