The OECD, with contribution from CESSDA’s Director Bonnie Wolff-Boenisch, has published a new policy paper, Fostering Research Infrastructure Ecosystems for Addressing Complex Scientific and Societal Challenges (September 2025), which explores how research infrastructures (RIs) can work together more effectively to tackle pressing global issues.

The report, developed by an international Expert Group under the OECD Global Science Forum, examines how RIs move beyond operating in isolation to form dynamic ecosystems that enhance access to data, enable interdisciplinary collaboration, and strengthen their societal impact. It presents good practices, case studies, and concrete recommendations for policymakers and research leaders.

Bonnie Wolff-Boenisch, Director of CESSDA ERIC and Chair of the European Social Sciences and Humanities Open Cluster in 2024, contributed her expertise as part of the Expert Group and as a presenter in the workshops that shaped the report

´I hope my perspectives from the viewpoint of distributed research infrastructures and in particular in the field of the social sciences and humanities, often underrepresented in discussions on large-scale research infrastructures, helped to enlighten decision makers of the global RI ecosystem.’

By bringing together voices from across disciplines and countries, the OECD report underscores the importance of collaboration in building sustainable RI ecosystems. For CESSDA, its recognition within this global policy debate highlights the role of social sciences research infrastructures that serve diverse research communities.

The full report is available on the OECD website: Fostering Research Infrastructure Ecosystems for Addressing Complex Scientific and Societal Challenges (OECD Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers, No. 183).