The Data That Will Matter in 50 Years

What happens if we stop funding research data? And how can Europe connect data across scientific disciplines to better prepare for future crises? These were among the questions discussed at the ESFRI Stakeholder Forum, held in Cork, Ireland, on 22 September 2026. Research data were at the heart of the debate on the resilience of European research.

The Stakeholder Forum brings together research infrastructures, Member States, the European Commission and other actors across the European research area. As ESFRI Chair José Luis Martínez Peña noted in his opening remarks, each sees the European Research Area from a different perspective. Dialogue between them is therefore essential for the future direction of European research. The motto of the Irish Presidency, Ní neart go cur le chéile – “Strength with unity” – captured the spirit of the meeting: finding common solutions across disciplines, institutions and national borders.

Data as a world heritage

One of the main themes was the resilience of European research infrastructures and the strategic importance of research data.
Shelley Stall of the American Geophysical Union recalled that for more than thirty years, her organisation has promoted the principle that Earth, space and environmental science data are part of our world heritage. She also made a simple but important point: some data can never be recovered.

Similarly, Peter Thorne, Professor of Physical Geography, stressed that the data we collect today may prove crucial to research fifty years from now. Yet, he argued, the current data management system is fragmented and significantly under-resourced. He sees the way forward in a federated approach that allows data to be preserved over the long term, connected and shared across borders.

Jana Klánová from the EIRENE research infrastructure showed what connecting data can mean in practice. The One Health concept she works with relies on combining environmental, health and socio-economic data. Different metadata models and data interoperability remain major challenges. Overcoming them could help us better understand the mechanisms behind infectious and chronic diseases and place greater emphasis on prevention.

A role for EOSC

This is where EOSC comes in. It can provide an environment in which data can be discovered and used across countries and scientific disciplines. But one point came up repeatedly in Cork: access to data alone is not enough. Unless individual data sources are interoperable, their full potential cannot be realised.

As Jan Hrušák of the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry and a member of the ESFRI Executive Board pointed out, the challenge is not only technical. “It requires a change in mindset. We should stop focusing on how different we are and start thinking about what connects us within the European research ecosystem,” he said.

The discussion continues

The Stakeholder Forum was followed by a two-day meeting of the ESFRI Forum in Cork. A key priority is the completion of the ESFRI Roadmap 2026, which will be presented in Rome on 2 December 2026 and will include six new research infrastructure projects. Its launch will be followed in Rome by ICRI 2026, one of the world’s major international gatherings dedicated to research infrastructures.

The discussions in Cork will not end there. ESFRI will prepare official conclusions from the Stakeholder Forum to take its outcomes forward.