Summary World Café at DAPHNE4NFDI annual meeting 25 March 2026@KIT
On the last day of the DAPHNE4NFDI annual meeting a hands-on workshop was organized in the world café style for the attendees of the annual meeting. In the interactive world café format, participants worked hands-on in small groups with real research data examples taken from the topics of data management plans and metadata to software and publication workflows. Following an initial introduction by Florian Maurer (KIT), participants rotated between five focused topic stations, where they worked together to develop practical solutions through direct exchange with experts and fellow participants. Each session lasted 35 minutes, including 10 minutes for the introduction and 25 minutes for brainstorming discussions. In this way, each participant was able to visit all five stations, explore practical solutions, and contribute to the discussions.
The first station was facilitated by Martin Reinhardt (Base4NFDI) and focused on software management, with selected aspects of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Participants were introduced to creating a minimal Python Flask application, setting up a Git-based repository, and enriching it with metadata. In this context, Martin Reinhardt illustrated, under the title “Software Lifecycle in a Nutshell” how the quality of research software can be improved through testing using test frameworks. A key aspect of the session was the implementation of FAIR principles for research software, demonstrated through the GitHub-Zenodo integration, which enables persistent identification and improved accessibility of source code. The session concluded with a brief outlook on containerized solutions and related automation.
The second station, presented by Charlotte Neidiger (re3data / KIT), focused on the theme “Metadata and Repository Metadata: re3data Supporting the NFDI.” During the short introduction, the overview of registered PaN databases at re3data platform was shown as a working example. The available databases at re3data can be searched based on subject-specific, methods, measurements, etc. Metadata Standards available are Dublin Core, DataCite, DCAT, Repository-Developed Metadata Schemas, CIF. Using the RefXAS database as a DAPHNE use case, the discussion further explained the different registration requirements, which were classified as mandatory, recommended, or domain-specific.
At the third table hosted by Hendrik Goßler (KIT) and Johannes Riedel (KIT), ADACTA was presented as a practical platform for data-driven experimentation. The focus was not only on introducing the software, but on its direct application: in an interactive hands-on session, participants were able to see for themselves how complex experimental set-ups can be mapped as seamlessly connected digital experimentation environments. Using realistic use cases, the session demonstrated how ADACTA efficiently links data, devices and processes, thereby creating transparency, traceability and reusability across the entire experimental lifecycle. The open workshop atmosphere also enabled participants to raise their own questions and discuss concrete application possibilities for their individual research and development processes. The station therefore offered not only insights into the technology, but also delivered direct practical value – from structured data capture through to well-founded decision support.
At the fourth station, Helena Simek Tosino (KIT) provided participants with hands-on experience using the Chemotion/LabIMotion infrastructure. A practical overview of Chemotion’s end-to-end workflow was given, covering all stages from experimental design through data collection and characterization to the disclosure and publication of results. Key aspects – such as automated metadata extraction, the ability to share and provide structured and standardized data, and the potential to support domains and communities beyond (organic) chemistry via the generic extension LabIMotion – were highlighted. In addition, DOI reservation and minting, as well as the association of data with physical materials in the Chemotion Repository, were demonstrated.
The fifth station was presented by Tim Wetzel (DESY) on the public-data repository at DESY where he showed how to deposit data through sisyphos with a metadata scheme and create a domain-/technique-specific metadata schemas from a generalized template with LinkML. During the introduction, Tim presented the public SciCat DESY instance as solution for different platforms developed under DAPHNE. The possibility of platforms such as RefXAS database developed under DAPHNE has been discussed based on the specific requirements of a fully developed interface. The metadata scheme, written in LinkML, is fully flexible: platform developers can define their own scheme or use the one that has already been developed. DOIs can be provided for single or collections of datasets.
These hands-on sessions in the world café format provided an especially effective setting for collaboratively exploring domain-specific topics, addressing participants’ concrete needs, and discussing practical solutions for their own research workflows. At the same time, the interactive exchange not only fostered collaboration within the DAPHNE4NFDI community, but was also very motivating for the participants and broadened their perspectives on available tools and services.
