Carmela Freda1,5, Rebecca Bendick2, Tim Rawling3, Elisabetta D'Anastasio4, Helen Glaves6,1, Gaetano Festa7, Rebecca Farringhton3, Mrs. Federica Tanlongo1, Rossana Paciello5,1, Jan Michalek8,1, Daniele Bailo5,1, Otto Lange9,1, Daniela Mercurio1, Elizabeth Abbott4, Jonathan Hanson4, Lesley Wyborn10, Massimo Cocco1,5
1EPOS ERIC, Roma, Italy, 2EarthScope Consortium, Washington DC, USA, 3Auscope, Melbourne, Australia, 4GNS NZ, Avalon, New Zealand, 5Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Roma, Italy, 6British Geological Survey (BGS), Nottingham, United Kingdom, 7Università di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy, 8Universitetet i Bergen , Bergen, Norway, 9Universiteit Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands, 10Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
Biography:
Helen Glaves is Senior Data Scientist at the British Geological Survey. With a background in geology and information technology, she has led major initiatives in marine data interoperability and open science, including the Ocean Data Interoperability Platform and the Research Data Alliance. A strong advocate for FAIR data, she received the European Geosciences Union (EGU) Ian McHarg Medal in 2016 and served as EGU President from 2021 to 2023. Glaves is also an Editor for the Earth and Space Science journal published by the American Geophysical Union.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8179-4444
Abstract:
Understanding the complex processes shaping our planet requires global collaboration and robust, interoperable Research Infrastructures. Solid Earth science depends on access to petabyte-scale, multidisciplinary data that spans borders and domains. The European Plate Observing System (EPOS), AuScope (Australia), EarthScope (USA), and GNS Science (New Zealand) are leading this effort through a shared commitment to open science, FAIR data practices, and global equity.
Their collective vision is to move from collaboration to federating regional Research Infrastructures into a cohesive global system that enables seamless access to high-quality data and services, and involving other similar infrastructures in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Turning this vision into reality demands the alignment not only of technical standards, but also legal frameworks, supported by sustainable investment in digital infrastructure and capacity building, and the engagement of policy actors play a critical role in fostering the infrastructure strategies, simplifying regulations, and supporting workforce development. Major challenges include ensuring interoperability across fragmented data standards, navigating diverse regulatory environments, securing long-term funding, and promoting inclusivity—particularly for under-resourced regions and Indigenous communities.
This global initiative champions the transformative power of shared infrastructure—not only to accelerate scientific discovery, but to translate knowledge into action that strengthens societal resilience, advances sustainability, supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and reinforces science diplomacy in an era of environmental and geopolitical urgency.