EOSC Beyond’s Highlights at EUDAT Conference 2024

From 3–5 December 2024, we had the privilege of participating in the EUDAT Conference 2024 in Karlsruhe, Germany. This flagship event brought together more than 100 experts and stakeholders in research data management to share knowledge, showcase innovations, and build stronger collaborations.

As EOSC Beyond, we were proud to contribute to the discussions and activities that are bringing forward the technical development of EOSC.

Sharing the EOSC Innovation Sandbox

One of the key moments for us was the presentation delivered by our Technical Coordinator, Nicola Fiore (EGI Foundation), as part of the session on EOSC advancements supporting FAIR research data lifecycle. Nicola introduced the audience to the EOSC Core Innovation Sandbox, an innovative environment designed to enable researchers, developers, and service providers to test and validate services within EOSC. The Sandbox is expected to open to external providers in March 2025.

The Innovation Sandbox provides a space for experimentation, fosters interoperability, and supports the implementation of FAIR principles across the research data lifecycle.

"The EOSC Innovation Sandbox embodies the spirit of open science by serving as a dynamic hub for experimentation, collaboration, and innovation," Nicola emphasised during the presentation. "It provides the research community with the tools and support necessary to design and develop advanced new services for the EOSC Federation."

In addition to Nicola’s presentation, we showcased a poster on the EOSC Innovation Sandbox provided by OpenAIRE and our project materials at the EGI Foundation booth in the conference exhibition area. This allowed us to engage with attendees directly, answer questions, and discuss the Sandbox’s features and benefits in detail.

Collaborating with FAIRCORE4EOSC

We also had the opportunity to collaborate closely with the Horizon Europe project FAIRCORE4EOSC during a joint workshop held on 4–5 December. This session saw the participation of more than 20 partners in person and online, focussing on strategies for enhancing interoperability and testing the capabilities of the EOSC Core Innovation Sandbox.

FAIRCORE4EOSC is developing ten services to improve the findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability (FAIR) of research data. Together, we explored how these services can be integrated with the services available in the Innovation Sandbox and how both projects contribute to strengthening the EOSC landscape. Discussions will continue through the next few months, towards the opening of the Innovation Sandbox to external testers in March 2025, and the conclusion of the FAIRCORE4EOSC project in May 2025.

Looking Back on EUDAT 2024

EUDAT 2024 proved to be an excellent platform to connect with the community, share our progress, and learn from others in research data management. The conference’s vibrant atmosphere, insightful discussions, and opportunities for collaboration underscored the importance of collective efforts in advancing open science.

We want to thank everyone who attended our presentation, visited our poster, or joined us for the joint workshop. Stay tuned for more updates on our journey!