Building a PID Ecosystem - The Path to a National Roadmap

Modern scientific research infrastructures rely heavily on data-driven knowledge, which requires secure and sovereign control over research outputs and resources such as research data  throughout its lifecycle. The DFG-funded project PID Network Germany addresses the challenges of managing and sharing these outputs and resources  by supporting a network to promote persistent identifiers (PIDs) in research and culture. It supports the FAIR principles by emphasising the importance of the basic infrastructure for identifying and accessing research outputs like research data. Through the use of PIDs, long-term preservation of research data is achieved, citation and attribution is facilitated, and reuse and innovation is promoted. This is in line with national and international initiatives for Open Science and research data management (RDM).

The poster presents the path towards a national roadmap for the establishment of PIDs in key infrastructure areas to promote the discoverability, accessibility and long-term preservation of data. Building on existing national and international initiatives, such as EOSC, RDA, and the NFDI, the roadmap creates a cohesive framework for PID adoption across the German research landscape. A comprehensive analysis of current PID practices – informed by surveys of key stakeholders (research funders, institutions, and service providers) – revealed critical gaps in funding, technical interoperability, organizational workflows, and awareness. To address these challenges, the roadmap proposes a strategic vision for a PID-optimized system, outlining concrete steps such as established workflows, awareness building, PIDs for different resource types, harmonization of metadata, development of a governance model, prerequisite for accessible infrastructures and services. The main target group of the roadmap is research funding organizations, research institutions operating infrastructures, research and cultural communities, including the NFDI consortia.

The development of this roadmap is an iterative process shaped by continuous feedback from a wide range of stakeholders. Given the broad context of research data, which includes standardization, supporting services, and international collaboration, we are using exchange formats and community feedback to ensure the relevance and sustainability of the roadmap. We want to receive further input and encourage open conversation to create a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities in building a robust and sustainable PID infrastructure for the German research landscape.