BKH tools and services support direct interoperability across multiple infrastructures and cater for the wider research community and their specific scientific demands. This approach encompasses multiple infrastructures within and beyond the existing ESFRI Roadmap.

The infrastructures provide access to data that is not only FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) but also interlinked and capable of meeting computer-driven demands. This enhanced access is the result of technological innovations and protocols rigorously tested through open-call projects and by multiple users of virtual access facilities.

Comprehensive workflows for text and data mining and semantic publishing unravel data from published and historical literature. This process includes annotation, semantic enhancement, quality assurance, and dissemination as FAIR data across knowledge brokers.

Encourage data managers to use interoperable infrastructures and avoid scientific knowledge creation in isolation.

Continue to promote open access to data by making research infrastructures follow the established policy for open access to publicly funded research outputs, including publications, datasets and methodologies.

International cooperation among infrastructures

Invest in and enable European researchers and infrastructures to engage in global collaborations to support interoperability with global research infrastructures, and align operational frameworks.

Support the implementation of the all-European system for persistent identifiers (PIDs) for biological specimens through the alignment between the concepts of "digital specimen" (developed by the EU DiSSCo ES-FRI) and "extended specimen" (developed in the USA) as machine actionable FAIR Digital Objects within the International Partner Group for Digital Extended Specimen (IPDES).

Strongly encourage biodiversity infrastructures to continue operating and expanding under full compliance with the international standards for taxonomic data developed in the frame of the Biodiversity Information Standards Organisation (TDWG).

Increased interaction of research infrastructures with industry.

Boost the engagement of private companies such as IT developers and publishers dealing with biodiversity data and information. For example, the ARPHA Writing Tool publishing platform developed by Pensoft and the text and data mining tools and workflows developed by Plazi are widely used by several leading natural history institutions, journals and publishers. Any journal or publisher can use the Biodiversity Literature Repository (BLR) at Zenodo to deposit their articles and data. The tools and workflows developed in biodiversity genomics become part of the EMBL-EBI Industry Programme.

Support bi-directional exchange and work with the private sector and, more generally, the overall framework of EOSC expanding to the private and public sector activities.

Promote further engagement of the private sector in biodiversity research and conservation efforts through incentives for companies to invest in biodiversity-related research and data management.

Encourage partnerships between infrastructures and innovation companies including publishers, data management companies, and technology firms that can contribute to the dissemination and application of biodiversity data.

Use of compatible data tools and services to EOSC

Ensure the adoption of data interoperability standards and protocols as a condition to facilitate integration into EOSC of biodiversity data coming from diverse sources.

Foster the endorsement of the EOSC principle of "Data as open as possible, as closed as necessary" to rely on data made open and FAIR through the services onboarded on the EOSC Marketplace.

Contribution to other research areas and broader EU priorities

Support linkage of data across domains through BKH services. Combined data from molecular biology resources will link to natural history collections, taxonomy and literature thanks to tools and workflows for accurate reporting of source annotations and facilitated curation of available data in collaboration with other biodiversity genomics projects.

Create strong technical and operational interfaces as in BiCIKL among infrastructures that operate in adjacent but different ESFRI domains (e.g. Environment, Health and Food).

Encourage cross-sectoral cooperation on the basis of data to support specific scientific needs of high priority.

Policy alignment with biodiversity goals

The policy brief emphasises the alignment and contribution of technological advancements by BKH to the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the Global Biodiversity Framework. It highlights the critical role of data, especially FAIR data, in achieving the legal obligations set in existing and emerging EU environmental legislation.

Importance of interoperability and standardisaiton

The recommendations call for continued integration and interoperability among research infrastructures. The adoption of common standards for persistent identifiers (PIDs) is crucial for seamless data discoverability and interoperability across various biodiversity domains.

Role of technology in data processing

The policy brief underscores the importance of technological innovations, including AI and semantic analysis tools, in unravelling and interlinking biodiversity data.

Semantically enhance Linked Open Data (LOD)

The integration among research infrastructures, tools and services they provide in the field of biodiversity data and knowledge will continue. The long-term vision towards which this process leads is a LOD-based, AI-assisted Overarching Biodiversity Supergraph: a single access point to distributed data resources across multiple providers, knowledge domains and tackling data acorss their entire lifecycle. Such a knowledge graph provides curated and trustworthy data that is indispensable for the successful development and application of AI tools.

Global collaboration in biodiversity research

To strengthen European biodiversity research efforts, the policy brief recommends fostering international collaboration and aligning with global standards. The consultation with international partners and compliance with global standards for taxonomic data demonstrate the commitment to global cooperation.

Engagement of the private sector in biodiversity research

The policy brief advocates for stronger interaction between research infrastructures and private companies, emphasising the use of tools and workflows. Encouraging partnerships with IT developers, publishers, and technology firms is seen as vital for the management and use of biodiversity data.

Integration with European Open Science Cloud (EOSC)

The BKH and participating infrastructures aim to contribute to EOSC in line with the EU open science principles.

Cross-domain collaboration for holistic insights

The BiCIKL project demonstrates the potential for infrastructures operating in different ESFRI domains(e.g. Environment, Health, and Food) to collaborate effectively. This cross-domain collaboration supports specific scientific needs, showcasing the broader impact of biodiversity research on multiple research areas and EU prioritites.

Stichting Naturalis Biodiversity Center (NATURALIS), Netherlands

Plazi GMBH (Plazi), Switzerland

Agentschap Plantentuin Meise (MeiseBG), Belgium

European Molecular Biology Laboratory (ELIXIR/EMBL-EBI), Germany

European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Switzerland

Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities (CETAF), Belgium and Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (MNHN, associated party to CETAF), France

Institut Suisse De Bioinformatique (SIB), Switzerland

Tartu Ülikool (UTARTU), Estonia

E-Science European Infrastructure for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research (LIFEWATCH), Spain

Freie Universität Berlin (FUB-BGBM), Germany

Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), Denmark

SPECIES 2000 (sp2000), United Kingdom

Stichting International Working Group On Taxonomic Database (TDWG), Netherlands