D6.2 Strategic Roadmap (Release 1)
Creators: name: Vera, Julia
name: Larkin, Kate
name: Fang, Xiaou
name: Pittonet, Sara
name: Schaap, Dick
name: Pagano, Pasquale
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Challenges
Core Services
Data Access
Data Discovery
Open Science
Opportunities
Roadmap
Virtual Research Environment

description: The <strong>Horizon 2020 Blue-Cloud (B-C) project </strong>launched in October 2019, aiming to <strong>demonstrate the potential of web-based Open Science in the marine domain</strong>. To deliver on this objective, it is <strong>piloting</strong> the development of a <strong>web-based cyber platform</strong> that will provide marine scientists with enhanced <strong>analytical capabilities</strong>. It will facilitate their engagement in <strong>collaborative research</strong> and will provide them with access to powerful <strong>cloud-computing resources</strong>, a range of <strong>analytical tools</strong> and <strong>simplified access to multi-disciplinary data</strong> from in situ and satellite-derived observations to model outputs. B-C is co-designed by, and builds on, existing European capability, including trusted data services EMODnet, CMEMS and other key research and data infrastructures and e-infrastructures. In the <strong>short-term</strong>, the project is building this cyber platform by means of a smart federation of selected, multidisciplinary data repositories, analytical tools and computing facilities. The added-value of web-based Open Science will be demonstrated by five specific, multidisciplinary "demonstrators" or use-cases. In the <strong>medium-</strong> and <strong>long-term</strong> <strong>future</strong>, B-C aspires to upscale this cyber platform, its resources, services and applications, together with a thriving community of Open Science service providers and users. B-C will evolve to further align with wider developments at European level to catalyse <strong>transformative solutions</strong> to priority <strong>societal challenges</strong> and unravel <strong>new opportunities</strong> for <strong>innovation</strong>, in support of the <strong>EU Green Deal</strong> and <strong>UN Agenda 2030</strong>. To guide the long-term capitalization and further development of this ambition into the future, the Blue-Cloud Project is producing a <strong>roadmap</strong> to <strong>2030</strong>, which is being developed as a <strong>co-designed</strong>, <strong>community-oriented policy document</strong> with substantial stakeholder consultation and input. This document is a first <strong>draft Blue-Cloud Roadmap to 2030</strong>, that will be further updated and summarised in Spring 2021, ready for public consultation in June 2021. For this reason, this document should not be seen as a <strong>preliminary blueprint</strong>, but rather as an intermediary step towards gathering <strong>input</strong>, <strong>feedback</strong> and <strong>insight</strong> from the <strong>B-C Community</strong> towards its evolution and grounding, benefiting from wide stakeholder consultation. <strong>Sections 1</strong> and <strong>2</strong> introduce the process followed towards the development of the roadmap, as well as the policy context, opportunities and challenges that motivate the <strong>Blue-Cloud</strong>'s efforts, exploring the emergence of <strong>Open Science</strong> in the context of the digital age and how it can contribute to <strong>support</strong> the <strong>European Green Deal</strong> and the <strong>United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development</strong>. It analyses relevant developments shaping Europe's <strong>marine knowledge value chain</strong> and reflects on some of the <strong>outstanding challenges</strong> currently hindering its potential to leverage on Open Science to deliver on the objectives of these policy frameworks. <strong>Section 3</strong> describes the <strong>added value</strong> that <strong>Blue-Cloud </strong>will bring to this landscape by <strong>2022</strong>, and the overarching, <strong>strategic objectives</strong> guiding its realization. <strong>Sections 4 </strong>and <strong>5</strong> look deeper into the practical, technological and demonstrative <strong>assets</strong> that the project will deliver. <strong>Section 6</strong> reflects on the <strong>community</strong> of "<strong>early practitioners</strong>" of <strong>Open Science</strong> that is emerging around these efforts in the <strong>marine domain</strong>, as another key asset into the future. <strong>Section 7</strong> reflects on the overarching vision that could guide the future capitalization and further development of these results, as well as strategic, high-level actions towards achieving a shared vision. As the <strong>first early draft "roadmap"</strong>, this document is extensive and <strong>does not yet include policy recommendations</strong>, which will be the core content of the final roadmap. The final version of the <strong>B-C Roadmap to 2030</strong> (see box below) will be <strong>more concise</strong>, focusing on translating the road ahead in practical terms of <strong>policy actions and recommendations</strong>, bringing its <strong>key messages</strong> forward. This current format is used for a better understanding of the Blue-Cloud efforts, <strong>inviting feedback</strong> and <strong>contributions</strong> from the <strong>B-C Project Consortium</strong>, the <strong>B-C External Stakeholder Expert Board</strong>, the myriad of <strong>related projects</strong> and <strong>initiatives</strong> with whom the project is in dialogue, but also from organizations and professionals <strong>not yet directly engaged</strong> in its efforts, but who could be interested in joining in the future. The <strong>policy recommendations</strong> for the final B-C Roadmap to 2030 will be drafted from community responses to the public consultation, in particular to the following key questions: How should <strong>Blue-Cloud</strong> evolve to support a <strong>thriving environment</strong> for web-based <strong>Open Science</strong> and <strong>Open data</strong> in the <strong>marine domain</strong>? What <strong>governance mechanisms</strong> are most appropriate and desirable to ensure broad <strong>engagement</strong> of the <strong>marine community</strong> and to ensure widely accepted <strong>rules of participation</strong>? What <strong>applications</strong> of <strong>Open Science</strong> in <strong>the marine domain</strong> could have a higher probability of success, given current availability of data, models and actors willing to engage in collaborative science, across a broad range of topics? Which of such applications should be prioritized towards addressing current <strong>user needs</strong> and delivering <strong>highest societal impact</strong>? How should B-C's Open Science environment and services evolve to be fit-for-use not only for scientists, but also for other Open Science users such as <strong>policy makers</strong> and <strong>blue economy SMEs</strong> and <strong>industry</strong>? What needs do these users have that B-C could evolve to address? What <strong>incentives</strong> can contribute to bring Open Science practitioners on board? How can B-C evolve to <strong>further connect</strong> with <strong>marine data infrastructures</strong> and <strong>research infrastructures</strong> to deliver full interoperability of marine data through the <strong>B-C Data Discovery &amp; Access Service</strong>, aligning and in collaboration with other international efforts? What actions would be required to enable <strong>B-C's Catalogue</strong> of <strong>analytical methods</strong>, <strong>algorithms</strong> and <strong>applications</strong> to be <strong>deployed in EOSC</strong>, but also in other infrastructures -<strong>closer to data</strong>- or across <strong>supercomputing platforms</strong> in Europe? How should <strong>B-C's assets</strong> evolve to align with future <strong>EU pilot DTO</strong> and <strong>DestinE</strong> developments?