The European Centre for Microscopic and Spectroscopic Imaging of Matter, established by the SPIN-Lab Centre for Microscopic Research on Matter of the University of Silesia in Katowice, has been included on the Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructure (PMIB). This is an important recognition confirming the strategic significance of the research infrastructure being developed at the University of Silesia and its potential at both national and international levels.
The Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructure is a national strategic document bringing together infrastructures with the highest potential for scientific excellence, which are key to the development of Polish science, innovation and the economy. The current update of the Roadmap was carried out by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education between 2024 and 2026. It involved both an assessment of the infrastructures listed on the PMIB since 2020 and a call for new projects. Of the 192 applications submitted, 183 were referred for substantive assessment, and the 104 highest-rated infrastructures were recommended for inclusion on the Roadmap. Together with the infrastructures retained following the review, the current PMIB comprises 165 strategic research infrastructures. The evaluation process was conducted by experts and took into account, amongst other things, the uniqueness of the infrastructure at national and international level, the applicant’s scientific and human resources potential, interest from the national and international scientific community and the business sector, as well as the prospects for the infrastructure’s development through international cooperation. The University of Silesia’s application also received support from foreign research centres, confirming their interest in cooperation and the significance of the infrastructure being developed for the international research community.
The European Centre for Microscopic and Spectroscopic Imaging of Matter has been classified under the ‘Physical and Engineering Sciences’ category as a national research infrastructure, with the University of Silesia in Katowice acting as the applicant. Its development builds on the potential of the SPIN-Lab Centre for Microscopic Research on Matter and aims to further integrate advanced imaging and spectroscopy methods, enabling multi-scale and correlative characterisation of matter.
Being included on the Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructure is of strategic importance to the University of Silesia. It confirms the university’s position as a centre with infrastructure of national significance and creates new opportunities for the development of interdisciplinary research, the formation of national and international consortia, cooperation with industry, and securing funding for the further expansion of research infrastructure. PMIB status may be of particular importance in calls for proposals and funding programmes dedicated to strategic research infrastructures.
For SPIN-Lab, this also marks the next stage in its development from a modern microscopy centre towards a centre of excellence in advanced, correlative imaging of matter, recognised both nationally and internationally. Inclusion in the PMIB strengthens the potential for further development of the equipment and the team’s expertise, for expanding access to the infrastructure for researchers from other institutions and businesses, and for carrying out ambitious projects in collaboration with European partners.
Equipment at SPIN-Lab | Photo: University of Silesia