Speaker
Descrizione
The adoption of shared and technologically advanced FAIR practices among digital Research Infrastructures (RIs) is crucial for efficient collection, dissemination, and reuse of scientific data and digital objects. Within this framework, the ITINERIS research infrastructure was designed as the central HUB for accessing Italian digital resources of the environmental domain. However, knowledge of current FAIR practices within the Italian RIs participating in ITINERIS is fragmented, making difficult to assess the degree of convergence towards common approaches. Here, through the formal methodology of FAIR Implementation Profiles, we described the FAIR Enabling Resources (FER) of 14 Italian ITINERIS nodes and compared them with the European landscape and ITINERIS HUB choices to assess convergence and the ITINERIS HUB’s potential for harvesting and disseminating digital resources. Results revealed a substantial degree of FAIR convergence between the ITINERIS HUB and several RIs. The highest number of shared FERs occurred with long‑standing infrastructures such as ACTRIS, ICOS, and LifeWatch. At the domain level, the ITINERIS HUB showed stronger alignment with atmospheric and marine domains, whereas significant gaps were detected for biosphere and geosphere. By considering individual FAIR principle, the HUB demonstrated greater convergence in accessibility and interoperability, reflecting specific development activity in these two critical aspects. Finally, the network analysis of potential connectivity showed the HUB widely linked to the majority of RIs, highlighting its interdisciplinary nature. Nevertheless, ITINERIS has not yet achieved a fully central role in the network and further technological developments are required to strengthen its role as a universal aggregator of digital products from Italian environmental research. Enhancing alignment with broader FAIR practices and expanding cross‑domain integration will be crucial to fully realise the potential of this strategic infrastructure.
