Source: Own illustration
In April 2026, Coscine will celebrate its third anniversary of regular operation! What began as a project during the pilot phase to make it easier for researchers to work with data has evolved over these three years into a vibrant, growing platform that has since become a central infrastructure in research data management. To mark this third anniversary, we look back on Coscine’s journey in this post.
Today, Coscine is much more than just a technical tool. The platform brings people, projects, and institutions together. It establishes a reliable framework for handling research data, reduces organizational hurdles, and helps ensure that data is structured, traceable, and usable in the long term. And it does so not only within RWTH and North Rhine-Westphalia, but also beyond the state’s borders.
Facts and Figures
Coscine’s growth is also reflected in its user numbers: Since the pilot phase, approximately 4,600 users have registered. More than 4,500 projects and 4,400 resources have been created. Currently, approximately 24 petabytes of storage are available, of which around 12 petabytes have already been provisioned and three petabytes are in use. Behind these figures are specific research projects spanning a wide range of disciplines, from engineering and natural sciences to the humanities and social sciences.
Universities and Cross-Regional Networking
Fourteen universities have now fully integrated Coscine into their structures and use the platform in conjunction with DataStorage.nrw. This means that Coscine is not only firmly rooted locally but is also part of a state-wide infrastructure within DH.NRW.
At the same time, the platform is increasingly expanding beyond these structures. Through the cost model, institutions outside of North Rhine-Westphalia can also be connected. This strengthens supraregional collaboration and makes it possible to organize and share research data regardless of location.
Integration into Everyday Research Life
A key feature of Coscine is its close integration with actual research workflows. The platform is not only used at the end of a project to store data but supports the entire research data lifecycle. From planning through data collection and collaborative work to archiving, Coscine offers points of integration.
The ability to integrate Coscine into existing workflows (via interfaces and tools) also helps ensure that research data management is not perceived as an additional burden, but rather as a natural part of the research process.
Attendance at Events
Coscine thrives on engagement with the community. The Coscine team regularly attends events and actively participates in discussions about research data management. These include events such as workshops for the RWTH’s RDM-II module, RWTHtransparent, Young Academics Day, Research Data Day, the FDM Werkstatt, Love Data Week, the E-Science Days, CoRDI, and many more.
These events are not only an opportunity to introduce Coscine but, above all, spaces for dialogue. What challenges do researchers face in their daily work? What features are needed? What hurdles remain? The answers to these questions are directly incorporated into the platform’s further development.
There are also established exchange formats for RDM staff. Monthly office hours, basic training sessions, and the Support Summit enable the sharing of experiences, the development of best practices, and the joint discussion of requirements. This creates close feedback between development, support, and usage.
International Networking
Coscine is not only connected at the regional and national levels but is also active internationally. Participation in the EOSC Symposium 2024, contributions to FAIR EVA workshops, and involvement in the EOSC FIDELIS project demonstrate that the platform is part of broader European developments and strengthens its networking and visibility worldwide. Exchanges at the European level help keep Coscine connected while also incorporating ideas from other initiatives.
FAIR Principles, Policies, and User Feedback
An important part of Coscine’s ongoing development is the implementation of the FAIR principles. The goal is to help researchers organize their data so that it is discoverable, accessible, and reusable.
A key component of this development are the Coscine policy documents, which were developed in collaboration with RDM staff from various universities and ensure greater transparency and accountability in the management of storage resources. They structure the process of applying for and reviewing storage space on DataStorage.nrw by providing clear criteria, guidelines, and support services for researchers and reviewers. This enables a transparent, fair, and consistent evaluation of applications across university boundaries while simultaneously providing targeted support to researchers during the application process.
In addition, user feedback plays a central role. Through regular surveys and direct communication, we continuously gather information on existing requirements and areas where improvements are needed. This feedback is incorporated into the platform’s further development.
This year’s Coscine user survey will remain open until April 30, 2026. All users are invited to share their experiences and thus actively contribute to the further development of Coscine.
The Mission
Coscine’s mission remains clear: to support researchers in efficiently managing their data, securely preserving it for the long term, and making it accessible and reusable in accordance with the FAIR principles. At the same time, the platform fosters collaboration across projects, institutions, and national borders, thereby making an important contribution to modern, interconnected research data management. Learn more on the Coscine website.
Looking Ahead to the Coming Years
Three years of regular operation mark an important milestone, but above all, they are a starting point. The demands on research data management will continue to grow, as will expectations for infrastructure, services, and support.
Coscine is well-positioned to continue on this path together with the community: as a stable, flexible, and constantly evolving platform.
Lean More
Would you like to receive regular updates about Coscine? Then visit the Coscine website and subscribe to the Coscine newsletter to stay up to date once a month.
If you have any questions about Coscine or research data management, the RDM team at RWTH Aachen University is happy to help.
Responsible for the content of this article is Arlinda Ujkani.
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