Leibniz-ScienceCampus “Digital Transformation of Research“ (DiTraRe): Digital research with a value-add for society

Four central research clusters: Protected Data Spaces, Smart Data Acquisition, AI-Based Knowledge Realms, and Publication Cultures

DiTraRe consists of four research clusters, each of which addresses an important aspect of digital transformation in science and researches it based on concrete use cases.

1. Protected Data Spaces
In a data-driven world, secure handling of sensitive information such as patient data is a significant challenge. Digital data can easily be copied and distributed. DiTraRe develops methods and processes to securely store sensitive research data and make it available for research while maximizing privacy protection and complying with legal requirements. This is particularly relevant in areas such as sports science, where sensitive health data plays a key role in researching factors that influence health. DiTraRe supports a research data repository for movement data from sports, creating solutions for responsible data use that enable innovative research.

2. Smart Data Acquisition
The second research cluster is dedicated to optimizing digital data collection and analysis. Using the Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) “Chemotion” from chemistry, DiTraRe examines ways to automate laboratory processes, make them more efficient, and capture valuable data early in the research process. The goal: more time for actual research in laboratory sciences, less effort for documentation, while ensuring high-quality, standardized, and structured research data.

3. AI-Based Knowledge Realms
Machine learning and artificial intelligence play a key role in coping with growing data volumes. DiTraRe investigates how AI can be used to generate new scientific findings faster and more accurately, while always remaining comprehensible. For example, AI systems in biomedical engineering help detect cardiovascular diseases early by analyzing complex datasets and pointing out irregularities that human observers may miss. DiTraRe works on a trustworthy, traceable use of AI methods that deliver reliable results. Naturally, ethical and legal issues are also addressed, along with potential long-term impacts of this new technology.

4. Publication Cultures
The digital age calls for new publishing models. DiTraRe examines how scientific results – including not only publications in scientific journals but also data and software – are published. At the same time, data volumes are continually increasing, for example, in climate sciences that rely on measurements and simulations. Innovative solutions are developed to make research-generated data and the resulting knowledge accessible to the wider public. This increases not only transparency and trust: it also allows research findings to be used more quickly for practical implementations.
 

Research with Impact on Everyday Life

DiTraRe addresses the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation in research and examines the benefits – but also the risks – for society as a whole. DiTraRe explores how we can actively support and shape the digital transformation in a way that minimizes risks and maximizes benefits for all.

Dr. Felix Bach, scientific coordinator of the Leibniz ScienceCampus DiTraRe, puts it this way: “DiTraRe is a unique example of how close collaboration between essential scientific disciplines and their infrastructures can create new methods and digital tools that will change research long-term. We aim, on the one hand, to ensure that these changes lead to an improvement in our future through transdisciplinary innovation, and on the other hand, to reflect actively to avoid overlooking any potential risks. Our goal is to simplify the research process and the exchange of knowledge, making research results more accessible and understandable. We see the digital transformation not only as technological innovation but as an opportunity to rethink the working culture in science and accelerate the acquisition of scientific knowledge.”

In the coming weeks, we will delve deeper into the individual DiTraRe clusters and the use cases researched there.
Learn more about the Leibniz ScienceCampus at: www.ditrare.de 

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