Joint Research Center: What does the Commission’s think tank do?

Not everyone is familiar with the EU’s Joint Research Center (JRC). The precursors of this huge research institution have existed since 1959. It was founded in Ispra, Italy, as the nuclear research center of the European Atomic Energy Community (now Euratom), and many institutes and laboratories have been added since then, while some have been closed down or rededicated. The five research centers of the JRC, including the Brussels headquarters, now call themselves the EU Science Hub. Research in Ispra and at the other four sites in Karlsruhe, Petten, Geel and Seville addresses current or future challenges facing the EU.