D4Science sustainability workshop

The D4Science sustainability workshop was held in September 12-14 2011 in Cagnes-sur-mer, France, organised by the administrative partner of the D4Science group, ERSIM. Its objectives were to achieve common understanding on the issues and practical implications of providing sustainability for the D4Science infrastructure and its related processes and products; resulting in recommendations and guidelines for current and emerging phases of the D4Science programme and for the subsequent iMarine initiative.

 

The workshop commenced by reviewing the recent background to the development of the D4Science programme and the evolution of the iMarine initiative, highlighting the distinctive features involved and the key products delivered, emerging or anticipated. The results of a questionnaire circulated to all participants were also summarised – emphasising the wide variety of background, enterprise scale, technical focus, and workshop expectations with respect to sustainability and its associated issues.

 

Discussions followed on perspectives of the important features and characteristics of the programme and its outputs, and on the potential for meeting needs of end-users at various levels and across a range of themes. Breakout sessions were used also to explore issues concerning sustainability and the key elements that would be significant for various stakeholders.

 

Participants included key institutional providers of infrastructure already involved in D4Science and iMarine together with representatives of user communities, together with members of the D4Science Advisory Board.