Integrating Services, Platforms and Resources into a National Infrastructure Cluster for FAIR Language and Cultural Data
Proceedings of the Fifteenth Language Resources and Evaluation Conference (LREC 2026)
Abstract
In the context of evolving European and national policies for research infrastructure governance, this paper presents the contribution of a national consortium for language resources and technology to the construction of a national infrastructure for FAIR and interoperable language and cultural data within a broader Humanities and Heritage Open Science initiative. As the national node of a European research infrastructure for language resources, the consortium contributes to translating FAIR and Open Science principles into practice by integrating technical, methodological, and training dimensions. Its activities combine several coordinated components: FAIRification workflows and ontology-based metadata mediation to enhance semantic interoperability across infrastructures; the refactoring and exposure of services through a federated API gateway; and the implementation of a Linguistic Linked Open Data (LLOD) pilot for the validation, transformation, and publication of interoperable RDF datasets. A national training ecosystem — comprising a training platform and a FAIR learning library — supports capacity building and the creation of FAIR-by-design learning materials. Finally, a permanent research observatory monitors community practices and needs, providing evidence-based insights for the continuous improvement of services and training provision. Together, these components demonstrate a coherent strategy for implementing FAIR and Open Science at the national level, while ensuring alignment with major European and national initiatives in the SSH data ecosystem.