**NA5: Internationalisation and engagement of new user communities in EC priority areas** **Objectives** Integration of major international stakeholders to develop the global collections research agenda 1: Developing international roadmaps for biodiversity infrastructure component areas In mid-2018, GBIF, on behalf of the wider biodiversity informatics community, will organise a major workshop to follow up on the 2012 Global Biodiversity Informatics Conference (GBIC) and its output, GBIO. The 2018 workshop aims to establish an international mechanism for coordinated planning of biodiversity informatics infrastructure. SYNTHESYS+ will follow up on this activity, expanding on aspects of this framework and developing these international planning activities over the coming years. 2: Expanding geographic coverage MfN will lead in engagement and knowledge dissemination to institutions and users across an expanded geography, covering communication of prior work as well as future plans, including best practice derived from task 5.1. 3: Alignment and coordination with major EU stakeholders In addition to international activities, SYNTHESYS+, with leadership from Naturalis (acting also as the coordinating institution for DiSSCo), will work with European stakeholders, both within and outside the RI to improve alignment and interoperability of activities. ---------- **Deliverables** D5.1: European roadmap for integrated implementation of priority component areas, with focal areas for delivery by SYNTHESYS+ partners and other EU infrastructures [month 30] D5.2: Report from engagement activities with taxonomic facilities in priority regions outside Europe [month 45] D5.3: Report from engagement activities with new user communities [month 45] D5.4: Whitepaper on opportunities for increased alignment and interoperability between SYNTHESYS+ and other EU infrastructures [month 12] D5.5: White paper on partnering with other infrastructures to ensure sustainable delivery of services offered by SYNTHESYS+ partners to European research [month 36] ---------- **Description of work** This work package provides coordination mechanisms for SYNTHESYS+ partners to develop a shared vision and implementation strategy with four major categories of stakeholder: 1) biodiversity informatics initiatives within Europe and worldwide (task 5.1); 2) taxonomic facilities in other regions, especially south-east Asia and eastern Europe (task 5.2); 3) new user communities, especially industry and societal actors (task 5.3); and 4) other European RIs with common interests around management of research data and around environment and biodiversity (task 5.4). In all cases, SYNTHESYS+ will increase the capability of the European collections network and individual partners to engage efficiently and sustainably with these stakeholders. An all-hands meeting in year 1 will establish specific priorities for work under tasks 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3. In the case of task 5.1, this meeting will determine topics for three international workshops to develop a shared vision for implementation plans in these areas. GBIF will secure additional funds for these workshops through its global network. The results of these will be synthesised as a deliverable. In the cases of tasks 5.2 and 5.3, the all-hands meeting will prioritise regions and user communities, based on SYNTHESYS+ strengths and capabilities, for specific engagements (either via dissemination materials or direct partnerships), under the coordination of the task leads, but implemented through actions led by different SYNTHESYS+ partners. A second all-hands meeting will capture lessons learned, best practices and follow-on priorities from these engagements. ---------- [Task 5.1: Developing implementation roadmaps for priority infrastructure component areas as part of international cooperative RI for biodiversity][1] [Task 5.2: Engaging expanded geographic involvement][2] [Task 5.3: Engaging society and industry as users of biodiversity RI][3] [Task 5.4: European biodiversity infrastructures stakeholder forum][4] [1]: https://osf.io/e8mpy/wiki/home/ [2]: https://osf.io/7acqb/wiki/home/ [3]: https://osf.io/ztq68/wiki/home/ [4]: https://osf.io/jws8q/wiki/home/