IT Center Blog

Source: Coscine.de

From an idea to an established platform: the history of Coscine is a chronicle of progress in research data management. The registration of Coscine as a word mark marks another high point in this success story. But how did it actually come about? In this blog post, we give you an overview of the origins and milestones of Coscine.

The Beginning of a Vision (2019)

The journey began in 2019 at the IT Center of RWTH Aachen University in the “Research Processes & Data Management” department (then IT-PFL). Right from the start, the goal was clear: to create a platform that supports researchers in managing the growing complexity of their research data, project partners and services.

This is how Coscine – Collaborative Scientific Integration Environment – was born – a name that says it all.

The idea was ambitious: to create an integrative and open solution that connects existing approaches and offers researchers flexible ways to manage their data. With this approach, Coscine was to focus on the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and at the same time, as an open-source platform, promote a community that is continuously involved in further development.

Testing in the Pilot Phase (2020-2023)

Coscine entered the pilot phase at RWTH Aachen University in March 2020. Here, the platform was tested in a controlled environment, feedback was obtained from users and continuous improvements were made. This was a crucial step in ensuring that Coscine meets the diverse requirements of researchers and provides a technically stable foundation.

During this phase, Coscine not only evolved functionally, but also strategically: modern technologies such as S3-based object storage, RDF graphs and SHACL metadata profiles were integrated to optimally structure and manage data and metadata.

The positive feedback from the pilot phase and the growing demand for a reliable solution ultimately led to the decision to transfer Coscine to regular operation.

A New Phase: Regular Operation Since April 2023

With the switch to regular operation in April 2023, Coscine became an integral part of research data management at RWTH Aachen University. Since then, researchers and their cooperation partners have had access to a platform that supports the storage, management and archiving of research and metadata.

The transition not only meant a stabilisation of the service, but also a simplification for users: An uncomplicated login via single sign-on, RegApp or ORCiD makes the platform easily accessible for all participants.

The Highlight: Registration of the Coscine Word Mark (2024)

Another milestone in Coscine’s success story was reached in November 2024: the registration of the “Coscine” word mark. This step not only emphasises the importance of the platform for the research community, but also secures its legal protection and identity.

The word mark application is a signal to the community and all partners: Coscine stands for quality, innovation and sustainability in research data management. The trademark not only strengthens the recognition value, but also creates a solid legal framework to further develop the platform in the long term.

The Future of Coscine

Coscine’s story is far from over with the trademark application. The platform will continue to be developed together with the community to fulfil the diverse requirements of research data management.

We are looking forward to the upcoming developments and milestones. Have you already tried Coscine? Share your experiences and wishes – let’s shape the future of research data management together!

Further Information

Stay up to date! Visit the Coscine website or check out the IT Center and FDM blog for the latest updates and tips. The Coscine newsletter is another source of information. If you don’t want to miss any more news, subscribe to it. Information on updates, new features and functions is published there once a month.

Responsible for the content of this article is Arlinda Ujkani.

Kategorie: Announcements, Events, Anniversarys & Success, Fun & Facts, Insight IT Center, Projects & Cooperations, Support, Services & Updates
Schlagworte: Coscine, FAIR, FAIR Prinzipien, FDM, Forschungsdatenmanagement, Markanmeldung, Regelbetrieb
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