This autumn, the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons hosted the Swiss Research Data Day (SRDD) conference, which brought together information scientists and sustainability experts to address the main theme: «Challenges of Economical and Ecological Archiving.» The conference featured sessions on sustainable data storage, the FAIR and CARE principles, and advancements in storage technologies.
Following the welcome address by Prof. Dr. Bruno Studer, the dean of the Applied Future Technologies department at the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons, Prof. Dr. Basma Makhlouf-Shabou, President of OLOS, Head of Master Information Sciences, HEG HES-SO & ArchiLab leader, presented a panorama of initiatives and pilot tools related to research data management and environmental costs. The morning session continued with a case study from the Bern University of Applied Sciences on how to choose a data repository for a higher education institution, as well as insights from the ETH Library on their experience in certifying the ETH Research Collection according to the CoreTrustSeal. The morning session was concluded with the presentation of a new metrics-based framework for FAIRness assessment developed at the University of Bern.
The first highlight of the morning was the keynote by Dr. Mark Lanz, manager of Tape Storage Research at IBM Research Europe. He talked about the future of digital archive storage technology: the renaissance of tape, the scaling challenges in magnetic recording and emerging archival storage technologies such as DNA storage. Following the keynote, the participants could choose between two parallel sessions – one on FAIRness and CAREness, and the other on data stewardship and online learning campus efforts. In the former, participants were able to learn about different case studies of RDM implementations in fields such as health science and engineering, where proper management of data according to FAIR and CARE principles is particularly important. In the latter, several universities presented their experiences with the introduction of data stewards in their institutions, an endeavour supported by recent Swissuniversities initiatives to promote RDM knowledge and support. Furthermore, the ETH domain presented its new Open Research Data training initiative, concluding that there can be «no FAIRness and CAREness without awareness».
After a lunch break with lively discussions, the afternoon session launched with insights into emerging storage technologies, infrastructure and AI. Following on from the morning keynote mentioning the potential of DNA as a long-lasting archiving medium, Prof. Dr. Pierre-Yves Burgi presented the challenges and opportunities of DNA storage in the OAIS context. The session continued with insights into virtual research infrastructures and the use cases for automated tagging of audio files. The latter was a project presented by FHGR students of Computational and Data Sciences. During the breaks, there was also an opportunity to discuss the posters presented by the Information Science students of the HEG HES-SO. It was encouraging to see how Information and Data Sciences are flourishing among these young talents and future colleagues.
The afternoon session concluded with the topic of empowering research communities – on the one hand with the example of OLOS and its new features such as automatic file format assessment, and on the other hand with a talk about the research data infrastructure landscape of Switzerland and the SDSC’s role in accelerating its maturation. Finally, the conference closed with an inspiring keynote by Prof. Dr. Matthias Stürmer, who spoke about the importance of digital sustainability, digital sovereignty and digital public goods.
The SRDD 2024 conference proved to be a valuable opportunity for exchange and networking, bringing together experts, scholars, and enthusiasts from diverse fields. This year’s event featured an array of thought-provoking talks, each tackling significant topics in the world of research data
Beyond the enriching talks, SRDD 2024 fostered an environment of collaboration and connection. It was great to see both seasoned professionals and newcomers sharing ideas and building relationships that will no doubt continue to thrive long after the conference.
The event was a reminder of how vital these gatherings are in advancing knowledge, and we look forward to the next edition in 2026. Thank you to our partners, OLOS and HEG HES-SO, as well as everyone who participated and made it a truly rewarding experience!
The conference presentations can be accessed at https://olos.swiss/srdd2024
Prof. Dr. Ana Petrus ist Dozentin am Schweizerischen Institut für Informationswissenschaft an der FH Graubünden.