Life Science Data Infrastructures IG Plenaries

Back to Plenary Participation

Group Session May 13, 2026

AI-ready data infrastructure: Technical federation, knowledge network & social fabric

Plenary: RDA 27th Plenary Meeting (P27)

Submitted by

Wolmar Nyberg Åkerström

Meeting objectives

Session date and time: Breakout Session 4 – 15:30-17:00 BST, Wednesday, 7 October 2026

Collaborative session notes

Leading up to this session, Life Science Data Infrastructures IG members will have collectively surveyed the operators of between 10-20 infrastructures across different geographical regions to identify how they are preparing to enable increasingly data driven and AI-integrated research workflows. The objective of the meeting is to explore the perceived gap to “AI-readiness”, to identify shared priorities, and to present opportunities for joint actions and infrastructure development that will contribute to shaping a more cohesive, interoperable, and federated data landscape.

The session will focus on opportunities across three dimensions: 1) technical federation, 2) knowledge networks, and 3) the social fabric that enables collective development, adoption, and sustained community engagement. Short talks demonstrate different approaches to improving data flow across federated systems, strengthening interoperability, and better connecting relevant data, tools and services to support data driven and AI-integrated research workflows across a wide range of life science disciplines and beyond.

Proposed interviewees, speakers and/or panelists

Note: Roles to be determined leading up to the plenary, balancing regional representation and perspectives. Additional nominations and perspective are welcomed and will be actively explored to further increase global representation.

Data infrastructure initiative	Region
Human Genome Project II (HGP2)	Global
European Cancer Imaging Initiative (EUCAIM)	Europe
The Department of Energy Systems Biology Knowledgebase (KBase)	USA
eLwazi data platform infrastructure	Africa
ELIXIR Europe’s AI Ecosystem Focus Group	Europe (mostly)
Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) AI Work Stream	Global
Testing and Experimentation Facility for Health AI and Robotics (TEF-Health)	Europe
Vertical Interoperability Innovation Lab	US (mostly?)
Canopy, CEDAR, Bioportal	US
SciLifeLab AI Strategy to support life science researchers in Sweden	Sweden
AI in Life Science Infrastructure Roadmap for Australia	Australia
Global Biodata Coalition (GBC) and GBC Resources on AI in biocuration	Global
Europe PubMed Central (PMC)	Europe
FAIRsharing Registry: Connecting data policies, standards and databases RDA WG	Global
BioFAIR UK	UK
[Your data infrastructure initiative here]	[Your region]

Meeting presenters

Organisers: Wolmar Nyberg Åkerström, Elisha Wood-Charlson, Nicola Mulder, Ishwar Chandramouliswaran, Francis P. Crawley, Allyson Lister, other speakers to be decided based on the table above

Meeting agenda

Timing	Item
10 min	Welcome & Introduction Format: Brief introduction to the RDA group(s) hosting the session followed by an interactive icebreaker to the topic where all participants are invited to engage.
45 min	Setting the scene: Data driven and AI-integrated research workflows Format: 3 coordinated short talks providing different perspectives on integration and sharing multi-modal data followed by Q&A
20 min	Discussion: Technical federation, knowledge networks & social fabric Format: Guided discussions in smaller groups with a rapporteur or a panel discussion supported by Mentimeter and collaborative notes (depending on the room).
15 min	Synthesis: Opportunities for future collaborations within and beyond the RDA Format: Call to action for collaborative infrastructure development and topics for joint group collaboration.
5 min	Wrap-Up & Next Steps

Target audience

The meeting will focus on examples from the life sciences (notably biomedical, behavioural, and health) but is open to and will provide context for anyone who is interested in how data infrastructures can enable data driven and AI-integrated research workflows.

Group Activities and Scope

The Life Science Data Infrastructures Interest Group (IG) was formed to serve as a bridge between life science data infrastructures in different regions of the world and relevant RDA Interest and Working Groups, including both specific subtopics of the life sciences, as well as generic topics that can/should be applied in the life sciences such as big data analysis, federated identity management, and data publishing.

The IG aspires to have meaningful representation from diverse geographical regions including North and South America, Europe; Africa, Asia and Oceania; and will actively seek participation from under-represented groups and the global South. The IG also aims for fair gender representation and inclusivity in all its activities.

The group has so far focused its activities on preparing Group sessions and Joint group sessions at the RDA plenaries that have served as fora for exchange across the life science data infrastructure community and the RDA. All the chairs of the IG are actively involved on a day to day basis to influence or deploy best practice national scale data infrastructure to support life science research in their respective regions.

Short Group Status

The Charter for this group was approved in May 2022. The group met for the first time at the 19th RDA Plenary (P19) in June 2022 to introduce the aims of the group.

The following plenaries in 2023 (P20 and P21) focused on exploring the implementation and interpretation of the FAIR principles in digital asset management challenges that life science data infrastructures are working to solve on behalf of their user communities. In 2024 (P22) the group explored the FAIR requirements for federated infrastructures and identified a number of shared interests across the life science data infrastructures community and the RDA. In spring 2025 (P24), the group focused on products, processes and practices that support the implementation of the FAIR principles in data infrastructures leading to BoF sessions at the P25 and P26 plenaries and subsequent decision to form a new working group (forthcoming).

At International Data Week 2025 (P25), the group hosted a discussion on connecting life science data infrastructures and (meta)data standards to support integration and sharing of multi-modal data. This was followed by a “town hall” meeting in 2026 (P26) where the group discussed its future direction and introduced a proposal to explore AI-integrated and self-improving platforms to connect life science research assets at all levels—from within a single institute to global networks—during P27.

Estimate of the required venue room capacity

70-100

Applicable Pathways

Data Infrastructures and Environments - Generalist
Data Infrastructures and Environments - Discipline Focused
AI meets data: exploring use cases, applications and innovation

Avoid conflict with the following groups

Artificial Intelligence and Data Visitation (AIDV) WG
Trusted Research Environments for Sensitive or Confidential Data: FAIRness for Controlled Data and P

What potential collaborations or synergies do you see between your Group/Birds of a Feather session topic and other RDA Groups or external organisations?

Artificial Intelligence and Data Visitation (AIDV) WG
FAIRsharing Registry: Connecting data policies, standards and databases RDA WG
Health Data Commons GORC Profile WG
Mapping the Landscape of Digital Research Tools II (MaLDReTH II)
Trusted Research Environments for Sensitive or Confidential Data: FAIRness for Controlled Data and P