Assembling parts of the bigger picture: Insights from the 5th NFDIxCS Plenary Meeting in Potsdam
From March 31 to April 1, 2025, the National Research Data Infrastructure for and with Computer Science (NFDIxCS) gathered for its 5th Plenary Meeting in Potsdam. Around 50 members of the consortium came together to discuss the current status of the project, shared their progress, and talked about challenges in building a sustainable and FAIR research data infrastructure.
The two-day event featured a variety of formats, including plenary presentations and workshops. Each session provided space for in-depth discussions, cross-task exchange and feedback on the work being carried out within the different task areas. One of the key highlights was a series of interactive workshops, where participants talked about topics, such as use cases for data extraction from scientific texts, the potential of generative AI for semantic classification, the development of specific (software) metadata categories and robust operational workflows relevant for Research Data Management Containers (RDMCs). Also, the role of metadata systems and their integration into broader knowledge graphs was addressed.
The plenary meeting offered more than just technical updates. It served as a vital space for collaboration across task areas. Participants were encouraged to exchange experiences, reflect on challenges, and work toward solutions together. What made the meeting particularly valuable was the diversity of expertise from various areas of computer science in the room. Consortium members brought perspectives from different disciplines and institutions, enriching discussions and fostering a collaborative spirit.
The plenary supported the shared mission of NFDI, to further develop a FAIR research data management infrastructure. The results of this plenary will shape the next steps, such as the finalization of key services of the project and guide efforts to develop and establish best practices in research data and software management.
