On 8–9 April, more than 140 representatives from Swedish universities, higher education institutions, and research infrastructures gathered in Gothenburg for the Swedish National Data Service’s first network meeting of 2025. Over two days, participants explored the relationship between policy and practice in the transition to an Open Science system, with a focus on how support for researchers can be strengthened and better coordinated.
A look ahead and the launch of a new research data portal
The meeting was opened by Eva Stensköld, Director of SND, who outlined several current initiatives and the future direction of SND’s work. She paid particular attention to the ongoing e-infrastructure investigation, which proposes a consolidation of digital infrastructures for research purposes under a single body within the Swedish Research Council.
Next, Johan Fihn Marberg, Head of IT at SND, presented the new portal Researchdata.se – a multi-year collaborative project that has resulted in a searchable platform for research data. The portal is intended to serve as a central access point for research data in Sweden.
The project is now entering its next phase, with the aim of becoming a hub for Open Science, offering new training resources and tools. During a live demonstration, participants could share feedback and suggestions for how Researchdata.se could be further developed.
“With Researchdata.se, we now have a national portal specifically designed for researchers. It brings together data from a wide range of disciplines and facilitates communication, visibility, and access to research data,” said Johan Fihn Marberg.
Bridging the gap between policy and practice
The theme of the meeting took shape on the first day through a group exercise on the gap between policy and practice, led by Sanja Halling, Research Officer at the Swedish Research Council, and Stefan Ekman, Senior Adviser at SND. In group discussions, participants reflected on their own experiences, highlighting recurring challenges such as unclear links between strategic documents and practical support, a lack of incentives, and the need to involve researchers earlier in the policy process.
Several participants also expressed the need for stronger alignment between national ambitions and local implementation, as well as more tangible support from infrastructures and funders to ease the everyday work of researchers.
“A common theme in the participants’ reflections was the lack of a holistic perspective. There are many parallel initiatives that run without considering each other, and when combined with the slow pace of change, it can feel like nothing is happening,” summarised Stefan Ekman.
A shared language for better collaboration
Day two of the meeting began with an update on the KAFFE project (Kartläggning av förmågor inom forskningssystemets e-infrastruktur ; Mapping capabilities in the research system’s e-infrastructure), led by Monica Lassi of Lassi Consulting. The project has entered a new phase focusing on three tracks: analyzing local reports, refining terminology and capability maps, and conducting researcher interviews. The goal is to understand how researchers’ data-related needs and practices align with existing e-infrastructures and to provide a foundation for shaping the national landscape to better meet those needs in the future.
“We’re witnessing big differences in how far organizations have come, but also a strong level of engagement. At its core, the KAFFE project is about building a shared understanding across different levels and actors – by making capabilities visible, we create better conditions to build support structures based on researchers’ actual needs,” said Monica Lassi.
Infrastructure that supports practice
Mattias Lindgren Sandgren, Team Leader for Research Governance and Policy Support at the University of Gothenburg’s Research and Innovation Services, was joined by IT service managers Lena Löfnertz Nilsson and Jonas Theng to describe their work with research data support – from requirements for data management plans to the development of a secure environment for handling sensitive data.
A key part of this work is the implementation of Trusted Research Environments (TREs) – digital, controlled spaces where researchers can process, store, and share sensitive data in a secure and traceable way. TREs are a concrete example of how technical and organizational infrastructure can help close the gap between policy demands and practical applications. These solutions support compliance with information security regulations, while also making it easier for researchers to work with sensitive data.
“TRE is the University of Gothenburg’s answer to a very practical problem: how to handle sensitive data securely without creating unnecessary barriers for researchers. The goal is to make it easy to do the right thing, even when information security requirements are high,” said Jonas Theng.
From policy to practice – how do we set the direction?
The meeting concluded with a panel discussion featuring Sabina Anderberg (Stockholm University), Sanja Halling (Swedish Research Council), Åke Ingerman (University of Gothenburg), and Madeleine Dutoit (Malmö University/SND). The panel explored the relationship between policies, everyday practice, and the cultural shift required for Open Science.
The discussion centred on whether there really is a “gap” between policy and practice – or if different parts of the system are simply moving at different speeds. What is often seen as stagnation or inertia may, in fact, be the result of complex transition processes in large organizations.
Some key issues that emerged were:
- the need to coordinate and prioritize initiatives to avoid “documentation inflation”,
- clearer communication from funding organizations about their expectations,
- locally tailored solutions based on shared understanding rather than uniform models, and
- incentives that support practical implementation rather than just formal compliance.
“There’s a risk that we’re reaching a point where the volume of policy documents undermines their purpose. Rather than adding more rules, we need to focus on building practical structures that genuinely support researchers and their work,” said Sabina Anderberg.
The panel emphasized that good intentions alone are not enough. Real change requires long-term coordination, co-creation with the research community, and shared responsibility for turning policy into meaningful practice.
“It’s easy to talk about a gap, but perhaps it’s more about different parts of the system developing at different speeds. What we need is not just policy but to create better conditions and shared understanding. We’re not standing still – practice often evolves faster than policy can keep up with. We need to build a system that supports change and brings all parts into alignment,” said Sanja Halling.