From November 5 to 7, 2024, EMSO ERIC actively participated in the 4th General Assembly and Technical and Scientific Committee (TSC) meeting of Blue-Cloud 2026, held at the Instituto Hidrográfico in Lisbon, Portugal. Ingrid Puillat, the Director General of EMSO ERIC, and Data Officer Aljaz Maslo contributed to important discussions and presentations during the event.

On November 6, the first Blue-Cloud Federation Workshop brought together 40 partners from the Blue-Cloud consortium, along with representatives from various marine research infrastructures and initiatives. It was a notable feature, addressing the alignment of Blue-Cloud’s federated services with the needs of marine and climate research infrastructures, fostering dialogue on the practical impact of an open science federation. Through presentations and panel discussions, participants explored methods to facilitate the sharing of best practices and promote interoperable workflows in line with the European Commission’s Ocean Pact and the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). Ingrid Puillat delivered a presentation on the EMSO ERIC Data Federation and Management via ERDDAP, highlighting advancements in data sharing and management within the marine research community. Aljaz Maslo also emphasized EMSO ERIC’s progress in content enhancements and semantic support to ensure interoperability and alignment with Blue-Cloud’s federated ecosystem at the STEAC meeting.

The event provided a platform for the Blue-Cloud consortium to reflect on progress made during the project’s first two years and to strategize for upcoming activities critical to its success. 

The meeting reinforced EMSO ERIC’s commitment to open science and cross-infrastructure collaboration, emphasizing its role in advancing data-driven marine and climate research.

Watch the EMSO presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4FwPsR6Jh0&t=5435s

Further information on the Blue Cloud Federation Workshop is available here: https://blue-cloud.org/events/blue-cloud-first-federation-workshop

 

Authors: Sara Pero, Aljaz Maslo, Ingrid Puillat (EMSO ERIC)