European Network for Biodiversity Information
Why ENBI ?
ENBI major objectives
• European (EU/EC) contribution to GBIF.
• Open regional network of biodiversity information centers and projects.
• Interaction with EU/CHM, EEA, EIONET, and EPBRS. (Memorandum of Understanding with the European Environment Agency).
What will ENBI do?
• ENBI is a network, not a single research project.
• Obtain a picture of the future challenges and opportunities.
• Identify current and planned activities, as well as gaps.
• Agree on priorities and on options for future cooperation.
• Define and implement a number of feasibility and pilot projects.
• Interact with related information domains.
• ENBI will (presently) not act as the European GBIF node.
• Promote the continuity of ENBI.
Work plan
• The establishment of a strong Europe-wide biodiversity information network.
• Common approaches for the maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity databases.
• Integration and interoperability of large-scale distributed database sites.
• Mechanisms to support the development of e-services and products.
Project components
Maintenance and enhancement of databases
Co-ordinationactivities
Forum for GBIFNational nodes
Dissemination IPR, Copyrights & financial issues
Sustainability &continuity
Products and e-services
Data integration, interoperability, and analysis
I
II
III
IV
Current Scope of ENBI
13 work packages accommodated in 4 clusters.
36 months, starting 1 January 2003
65 institutes, representing 24 countries.
- GBIF national nodes- Co-ordinators of relevant EU projects- Other stakeholders
Cluster I
- Network co-ordination- Co-ordination with GBIF- Strategies for sustainability and continuity of
European activities
ENBI Forums & Inventory of state-of-art.
Dissemination.
IPR, copyrights & business issues.
Co-ordinating activities.
Cluster II
Co-operation of pan-European checklist and ‘Species bank’ database projects.
Co-operation of pan-European databases on biological collections and specimens.
Observational survey data.
Maintenance, enhancement and presentation of bio-diversity databases.
Cluster III
Data management in large distributed biodiversity database systems.
Interoperability and common access.
Generic analysis tools and data mining.
Data integration, interoperability and analysis.
Cluster IV
Multi-lingual access.
Information services on European biodiversity data.
Making non-European biodiversity data in European repositories globally available.
Products and e-services.
Management structure
Members
Steering Committee (WP leaders)
Coordinator andManagement Committee
Links
Advisory Groups
Interaction with GBIF
• ENBI members will promote that more European countries will sign the GBIF Memorandum of Understanding.
• Transparency between the two communities of GBIF and ENBI to avoid duplication of effort or competing models.
• Option that ENBI will represent the European Commission in NODES (GBIF national nodes committee).
• Joint activities and sharing of budgets in common activities.
• Exchange experiences and compare models and activities with other regional networks (such as IABIN).
Looking ahead
• 6FP (ERA) initiatives– Integrated project ‘European Virtual Biodiversity Laboratory’
– Integrated project ‘Assembling the Tree of Life’
– Network of Excellence ‘Biodiversity databases’
• ERANET– Promote related national activities
– Multinational cooperation
• 7th Framework Programme
Contact: [email protected]
The ENBI Coordinators:
Wouter Los & Cees HofUniversity of Amsterdam
P.O. Box 947661090 GT Amsterdam
The Netherlands
http://www.enbi.info/