Prof. Kockmann, why are you involved in the NFDI4Cat consortium of the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI)?

NFDI4Cat has set itself the goal of ensuring the digital future of the interdisciplinary research field of catalysis. Due to our work in process technology and apparatus design, I found myself there because it is a cross-sectional topic that also involves the transferability and exchangeability of data. I see a need for action in this area, because data is collected and published, but rarely exchanged and preserved. In addition, it is difficult to find in most cases. The principle of FAIR data (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) should be implemented in the NFDI, and that is an exciting task. We are developing tools and training materials to make data FAIR. This will encourage researchers to handle their data more carefully, and I think the publication culture will change as a result of better access to existing data. In addition, the quality of newly acquired data will be increased in terms of its reproducibility of experiments and reusability in research, and this contributes greatly to the quality and further development of research itself.

FAIR data also includes ontologies and metadata. Why are these important for science?

Metadata describes a research area in a standardized form, thus ensuring a common language for communication with other researchers. Ontologies offer the possibility of storing data in a structured way so that it can be found and interpreted by both humans and machines. This simplifies working with data, which is particularly important in today's world, where more and more data is being produced and the exchange of data with other research groups, for example, is becoming increasingly important. Ontologies are basically structured like a language that can be used to describe relationships. So it goes beyond a mere vocabulary. That is why ontologies are often seen as an essential basis for artificial intelligence because they contain additional information alongside the pure terms. Ontologies are developed by experts, but the resulting tools can be used by all researchers, in all fields. I would like to encourage other researchers to be open to abstract concepts such as ontologies and metadata standards. If you take a look at them and use the available tools, you can quickly gain an advantage for your own research. It's like learning a new language: you also rethink your own mother tongue and get to know it even better. It's the same with ontologies or metadata standards that are mapped in ontologies. Seeing your own research space with new eyes is enriching.

The TU Dortmund University has also recognized the importance of ontologies and joined the Allotrope Foundation. How did that come about?

The Allotrope Foundation is based in the USA and is a non-profit organization that works primarily with companies in the field of medical research and drug development. The Allotrope Foundation's goal is to enable standardized data exchange between companies and institutions in the context of medical studies, and to create a continuous data flow. And such a data flow is not only important in medical research, but also for us. We were approached by the Allotrope Foundation because we use similar tools, and we have been working together since the beginning of 2024. All members agree on the same vocabulary in a particular domain, which is based on a unified approach to definition. This makes data transferable: it can be understood by others and is interoperable. The common vocabulary saves a great deal of work and time – and there are fewer errors. I can trust the data more when it is ontologically secured. The lower error rate takes data quality to a higher level.