Enabling interoperability between SciCat and open research data infrastructure

SciCat is a powerful platform for archiving, sharing, and publishing research data. To make data truly FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), SciCat must also interoperate with other systems. At the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), recent work has focused on strengthening interoperability with open research data infrastructure, including electronic lab notebooks (ELNs) such as SciLog and openBIS, complementary repositories such as EnviDat, and the Renku open computational platform. A key enabler of interoperability is support for shared metadata formats. One such format is RO-Crate, a container standard that packages both data and metadata for exchange. PSI has implemented a microservice for importing and exporting SciCat datasets as RO-Crates, enabling datasets to be archived directly from SciLog and openBIS. SciCat metadata can also be retrieved as JSON-LD compatible with Zenodo, allowing integration with tools built on Zenodo or InvenioRDM. Efficient data transfer is equally important. PSI exposes SciCat data via the S3 protocol, supporting transfer of large datasets between systems. Data movement is orchestrated through the SciCat job subsystem, which can trigger complex workflows spanning multiple systems operated by independent institutions. Together, these developments increase the value of data held in SciCat by supporting reuse across the distributed, collaborative landscape of modern research. This presentation was preseted 2026-07-02 at SciCatCon 2026 at MLZ Garching. This project was supported by the Open Research Data Program of the ETH Board.