MIBIREM showcased at deCYPher webinar on FAIR data and open science in EU-funded R&I projects

On 2 June 2026, MIBIREM coordinator RTDS Association represented the project at the deCYPHer project webinar “From Data to Value: Managing, Sharing, and Protecting Research Outputs in Public-Industry Partnerships”. This webinar gathered experts from key players such as the EU IP Helpdesk and the ELIXIR Hub to discuss how FAIR data and open science can be adequately ensured in public-industry partnerships in EU-funded R&I projects. This webinar gathered close to 50 participants from research, industry, policy and research infrastructures across Europe.

MIBIREM approach to FAIR data and open science

As the only project at the workshop focused specifically on environmental remediation, MIBIREM showcased its innovative approach in ensuring the thorough application of FAIR data management and open science principles in implementation of EU-funded R&I. MIBIREM project manager David Donnerer (RTDS Association) highlighted thereby MIBIREM’s efforts in carefully balancing FAIR data and open science, with the need to protect commercially sensitive information and support post-project exploitation opportunities. In this regard, a well-managed notification process involving all partners as regards any dissemination activity in the project was highlighted as a crucial element to ensure trust and transparency between partners.

Donnerer also presented the governance mechanisms employed in the MIBIREM project, in particular its Data Management Group, which oversees the organisation of all data collected and generated in the project. To ensure consistency and interoperability across partners and disciplines, MIBIREM employs standardised templates, common metadata practices and FAIR-aligned data management procedures. RTDS’ presentation concluded with key lessons learnt gathered so far in MIBIREM implementation, such as the need to treat the Data Management plan as a flexible, living document that evolves alongside the project’s delivery.

Shaping future EU policies on research valorisation

The deCYPher project webinar then included a spirited roundtable, where the relationship between open science and intellectual property (IP) protection was a key theme. MIBIREM shared thereby its practical approach, following the principle of being “as open as possible, as closed as necessary.” Publicly discloseable MIBIREM results are further disseminated through FAIR-compliant repositories platforms such as its Zenodo community, ENA and NCBI, while data with commercial relevance or patent potential is managed more carefully.

In the webinar discussion, participants agreed that FAIR data does not necessarily mean fully open data. Instead, effective governance, licensing and timing of disclosure are essential to ensuring that valuable knowledge can be shared responsibly without compromising future innovation opportunities. MIBIREM highlighted in this regard a key challenge for many collaborative EU-funded R&I projects: correctly managing hybrid datasets that contain both openly shareable and commercially sensitive information. Finding mechanisms to handle these datasets as effectively as possible remains an important area for future EU policy and research infrastructure development, as deCYPher webinar participants agreed.

Aligning project implementation with the AI Act and Data Act

The webinar roundtable then explored broader European policy challenges, including the implementation of FAIR principles, research valorisation, trusted research environments, data visiting concepts, and the implications of emerging legislation such as the AI Act and Data Act. In this regard, participants concluded that:

• FAIR and Open are not synonymous and should be treated as distinct concepts.
• Data stewardship and data governance capabilities will become increasingly important for European competitiveness.
• Trusted (research) infrastructures and controlled-access models could help reconcile openness with IP protection.
• Europe must strengthen its commercialisation ecosystem to better retain and exploit research-generated value.

Such discussions closely align with MIBIREM’s ongoing efforts to develop an innovative toolbox for microbiome-based remediation, while ensuring that project outputs remain accessible, reusable and impactful for both scientific and industrial stakeholders.

Looking Ahead

MIBIREM’s participation in the deCYPher Stakeholder Round Table provided our project with an excellent opportunity to exchange experiences with key FAIR data and open science stakeholders to improve current practices on research valorisation. The insights gathered during the event will help also the deCYPher project to inform future policy discussions on how Europe can create a more effective framework for leveraging the full societal and economic potential of high-quality research data generated in EU-funded R&I projects. As MIBIREM has entered its final project phase, the project consortium remains strongly committed to advancing FAIR data and open science practices, while delivering an innovative toolbox for microbiome-based remediation that will support the environmentally friendly clean-up of contaminated sites across Europe.

Author: David Donnerer,
Head of Proposal Team, RTDS Group