The aim of the SwissBiodata ecosystem (SBDe) is to boost Switzerland’s capacity to convert research data into knowledge and innovation. Led by SIB, the University of Bern, and 15 other Swiss institutions, the proposal has been submitted to the Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures. In July, it underwent scientific evaluation, and obtained the highest possible score. SBDe is the outcome of decades of collaborative projects and in-depth expertise around Open Science and FAIR principles. Among other goals, SBDe calls for a national coordination of Data Stewardship in Switzerland. It is thus fully aligned with the objectives of the national Open Research Data (ORD) Strategy and Action Plan laid out by swissuniversities.
Building on decades of experience in FAIR principles and Data stewardship at SIB
SIB has been a leader and recognized partner on the FAIRification of data and data stewardship since the start of the reflection around these topics in life science. From coordinating data in pan-European health projects, to teaching life scientists how to build their Data Management Plan, discover a selection of our initiatives, tools and skills.
Thanks to all these endeavours, Switzerland can rely on a solid national network of infrastructure solutions from which to build the future of data-driven life science.
A vision sustaining the national strategy for Open Research Data
If key players in politics, academic institutions and industry agree on one thing, it is the need to foster Switzerland’s capacity to use and reuse research data to accelerate knowledge generation and innovation. This realization takes concrete form in the Swiss National Open Research Data Strategy commissioned by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI. SBDe fulfils all seven guiding principles formulated in this strategy.
SBDe builds on existing expertise and SIB’s coordination capabilities to create a national decentralized infrastructure to share and reuse data and associated knowledge. Submitted by SIB and 16 other institutions for SERI’s Roadmap for Research Infrastructure, SBDe passed the first assessment stage, a scientific evaluation led by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), with the highest possible score in all aspects (scientific quality, scientific relevance, access and user groups, scientific feasibility, and overall assessment).
The expert panel deemed it a very much needed infrastructure that will help to stimulate and “carry out rocket science”. Furthermore, it stated that a guarantee of quality is the involvement of SIB, which has long-standing experience in bioinformatics infrastructure. The project is proposed for implementation during the 2025-28 funding period.
The scope for implementation of the proposal will now be assessed by swissuniversities, before submission to SERI for their consideration.
Learn more about SBDe in the illustrated infographics and on this page
