What is SoBigData

SoBigData RI is a distributed, European open science research infrastructure for social mining according to EU values of fairness and privacy protection.

SoBigData Mission is to use big data and AI to understand the complexity of society and offer services to researchers, industry, public bodies, and citizens through the creation of a multidisciplinary scientific community according to the EU’s vision of an ethical, legal, and open science

SoBigData provides a broad set of services, data, methods, training materials and technologies for Data Science within guidelines including EU Ethical, Legal, Social, Economic, and Cultural (ELSEC) values. FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) and FACT (Fair, Accurate, Confidential, and Transparent) principles are key aspects in the RI development.

Towards a Sustainable Research Infrastructure

SoBigData RI is included in the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) Roadmap 2021, aiming to become a sustainable research infrastructure by 2026.

ESFRI plays a key role in shaping and integrating European research infrastructures, ensuring they adhere to high standards of excellence, sustainability, and innovation. Essentially, ESFRI offers a long-term strategy to help SoBigData RI expand and establish itself as a leading research hub for AI and social mining in Europe and globally.

Research Infrastructures Nodes

 

 

What is Social Mining

1. Social mining is a toolbox aimed at understanding and modelling complex social phenomena and their evolution.

2. It combines data-driven and model-driven analytic approaches (network science, data mining, and AI): what is and what if.

Goals

By pursuing these goals, SoBigData contributes to advancements in big data analysis, social mining, and the responsible use of data in various sectors.

Data science
SoBigData contributes to advancements in big data analysis, social mining, AI and the responsible use of data in various sectors.
Innovation
SoBigData strives to support enterprises in data exploitation for innovation supporting the design of new products and services, new markets, cost reduction, and profitability. These efforts align with the objectives of the EU Strategy for Data.
Ethics
SoBigData aims to be a reference point in the EU for public bodies and policymakers on data management, AI, and their ethical use. The RI focuses toward concrete solutions, facilitating responsible and ethical practices.

SoBigData provides services in four main areas

  • Resource Sharing Services for Social Mining: These services guarantee access to shared datasets, analytical tools, and computational resources for studying complex social phenomena through data-driven methods. 
  • Technology: These services offer advanced technological solutions supporting the development, deployment, and execution of data science methods and applications.
  • Support Services for Communities and Projects: These services include technical guidance, collaboration support, data governance advice, and assistance in integrating tools and datasets into research or innovation activities, promoting interdisciplinary cooperation and knowledge exchange.
  • Training: Through courses, workshops, summer schools, and educational materials, SoBigData supports researchers, students, and professionals in developing the competencies and skills.

See available services →

SoBigData history

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The Research Infrastructure was born in 2015 with the EC H2020 SoBigData project (g.a. 654024) to integrate existing EU platforms on various social mining topics. Initially, the consortium was formed by academics and researchers from twelve institutions in seven countries. The first research infrastructure release came out in 2016, including some of the functionalities inherited by the initial platforms.

In 2020 the new project EC H2020 SoBigData++ started (g.a. 871042), enlarging the consortium to the experts in different fields collaborating during the first project. Thirty one partners from 14 countries form the new consortium.

In 2021 the SoBigData Research Infrastructure was selected to be part of the ESFRI roadmap as relevant digital infrastructure in the European Research Area (ERA).

In 2022 SoBigData started the ESFRI preparatori phase (g.a. 101079043) and the Italian node of the RI was included in the top relevant infrastructure in Italy and won a call part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan call (NRRP) to strengthen its capabilities - SoBigData.it.

In 2026 SoBigData is entering the ESFRI Implementation Phase.