CA17106 - Mobilising Data, Policies and Experts in Scientific Collections (MOBILISE)

European Natural Science Collections host approximately 1.5 billion biological and geological collection objects, which represent about 80% of the known current and past biological and geological diversity on earth. The scope of this MOBILISE is to foster a cooperative network in Europe to support excellent research activities, and facilitate knowledge and technology transfer around natural science collections. This will prepare the ground for a future pan-European Distributed System of Scientific Collections.

Technical innovations like Next-Generation Sequencing and large-scale digitisation, including 3D imaging, increase the volume of research data rapidly. Strategies and protocols for sustainable data storage and availability have to be adjusted accordingly. Current changes in legislation (e.g. (EU) Nr. 511/2014) increase the need for traceability of genetic resources and for practical tools for documentation of specimens in collections.

Technical solutions to provide scientific collections as digital data have been developed, but need to scale up and evolve from isolated project-based solutions in individual institutes to pan-European industry solutions targeted to rapidly changing societal needs, embedded in long-term sustainable structures.

The COST Action MOBILISE will:

1. Facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technology between researchers, domain specialists, data aggregators and industry by networking activities, events, workshops and trainings (“Open to the world”)
2. Promote the development of innovative techniques and coordinated prioritisation to increase efficiency of large scale collection digitisation and mobilisation (“Open innovation”)
3. Raise awareness about the need in science and society that, apart from physical access, sustainable data access infrastructures are an integral component of biodiversity research (“Open access”)