CESKY HYDROMETEOROLOGICKY USTAV

Their core work

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI) is the Czech Republic's national authority for weather, climate, air quality, and hydrology. Within H2020, they contribute atmospheric observation data and monitoring expertise to the ACTRIS pan-European research infrastructure for aerosols, clouds, and trace gases. They operate measurement stations and provide services related to air pollution monitoring, atmospheric hazard assessment, and climate observation. Their role is that of a national data provider feeding into Europe-wide atmospheric research networks.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the earlier period (2015–2019), CHMI's H2020 work emphasized the application side of atmospheric science — climate change impacts, air pollution, atmospheric hazards, and delivering services to end-users. From 2020 onward, their focus shifted toward the institutional infrastructure layer: ESFRI roadmap implementation, ERIC establishment, building catalogues of services, and enabling broad access to distributed observation facilities. The trajectory is clear — from using research infrastructure to actively building and governing it at the European level.

CHMI is transitioning from a national data contributor to an active node in the permanent ACTRIS ERIC infrastructure, making them increasingly relevant for anyone needing access to Central European atmospheric observation facilities.

How they like to work

CHMI never coordinates H2020 projects — they participate as a partner or third party in large, infrastructure-focused consortia. With 86 unique partners across 24 countries from just 4 projects, they operate in very large networks typical of ESFRI research infrastructure initiatives. This means they are experienced in multi-partner coordination but should not be expected to lead proposals; they are a reliable national node that provides data and facilities.

Through the ACTRIS family of projects and ATMO-ACCESS, CHMI has worked with 86 partners across 24 countries — an exceptionally wide network for just 4 projects, reflecting the pan-European nature of atmospheric research infrastructure. Their connections span nearly all EU member states plus associated countries.

What sets them apart

CHMI is the Czech Republic's national hydrometeorological authority, giving them an institutional mandate and long-term operational continuity that university labs cannot match. Their consistent presence across all phases of ACTRIS (research, preparatory, implementation) means they hold deep institutional knowledge of this ESFRI infrastructure. For consortium builders, they offer a direct entry point to Czech atmospheric observation stations and national-level meteorological data under one roof.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ACTRIS-2
  Their largest funded project (EUR 218,932), covering the core research phase of aerosol, cloud, and trace gas observation across Europe.
• ATMO-ACCESS
  Most recent and best-funded project (EUR 227,700), focused on enabling sustainable access to atmospheric research facilities — signals their growing role in infrastructure access provision.
• ACTRIS IMP
  Participation as third party in the ACTRIS implementation phase shows they are embedded in the long-term ERIC governance structure, not just short-term research.