Gaps, Needs, and Potential Solutions for Cloud-Native Data in Natural and Engineering Sciences

Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling

Abstract

This publication presents the consolidated outcomes of an interactive breakout session held during the Symposium on Cloud-Native Data in Natural and Engineering Sciences on 1 April 2026 in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The symposium brought together stakeholders from research, data infrastructures, and policy domains to explore challenges and opportunities in adopting cloud-native approaches for data-intensive research in Natural and Engineering Sciences (NES). As part of the program, participants engaged in a structured breakout session designed to identify and prioritize key gaps, needs, and potential solutions across three thematic areas: (a) cloud-native data formats and standards,(b) cloud-native data infrastructure, and(c) training and capacity development. Contributions were captured as individual post-it notes, which were subsequently reviewed and endorsed by participants through a lightweight voting mechanism (+1 marks indicating agreement). The resulting dataset reflects both the diversity of perspectives in the community and a collective prioritization of critical issues. This publication contains a curated virtual board that faithfully represents the original contributions and their relative support. The material provides a transparent and community-driven snapshot of the current state of cloud-native data practices in NES, highlighting areas where coordinated action is needed. All symposium participants who contributed to the breakout session are included as authors of this record, reflecting the collaborative nature of the exercise. The activity was conducted as part the CLOUD-NES project, which aims to stimulate the adoption of cloud-native methods for publishing, accessing, and processing research data. This output serves as both a reference for the CLOUD-NES project and a resource for the broader community, supporting ongoing efforts to align national initiatives with international best practices and to strengthen the ecosystem for cloud-native data in science.

Authors 35

1. Serkan Girgin

   International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation · University of Twente

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Twente

   University of Twente, Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation

2. F. Nattino

   Netherlands eScience Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Netherlands eScience Center

3. Maarten Plieger

   Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

   Affiliation as printed

   Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

4. Martin Brandt

   SURF

   Affiliation as printed

   SURF

5. Bouwe Andela

   Netherlands eScience Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Netherlands eScience Center

6. Magno Barreto de Araujo

   SURF

   Affiliation as printed

   SURF

7. Adhitya Bhawiyuga

   Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Galway

8. Lolke Boonstra

   Delft University of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Delft University of Technology

9. Amine Bribra
10. Néstor De la Paz Ruíz

    University of Twente

    Affiliation as printed

    University of Twente

11. Ward Gielis Aachen Naturalis Biodiversity Center

    Naturalis Biodiversity Center

    Affiliation as printed

    Naturalis Biodiversity Center

12. Jaykumar Harishbhai Gohil
    Affiliation as printed

    OpenGeoHub Foundation

13. Michel Grothe
    Affiliation as printed

    Geonovum

14. João Guimarães

    Delft University of Technology

    Affiliation as printed

    Delft University of Technology

15. Tomislav Hengl
    Affiliation as printed

    OpenGeoHub foundation

16. Teuno Hooijer

    Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

17. Haili Hu

    SURF

    Affiliation as printed

    SURF

18. Ali Hürriyetoğlu

    Wageningen University & Research

    Affiliation as printed

    Wageningen University & Research

19. Mustafa Serkan Ișık
    Affiliation as printed

    OpenGeoHub Foundation

20. Vasko Lozanov

    Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

21. Matthias Mohr
    Affiliation as printed

    moreGeo GmbH

22. Leandro Parente
    Affiliation as printed

    OpenGeoHub Foundation

23. Caroline Robinson
24. Sajed Sarabandi
25. Marcel Smit

    Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

26. Alessandro Spinuso

    Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

27. Carmel Suchard

    Utrecht University

    Affiliation as printed

    Utrecht University

28. Sabrina H. Szeto
    Affiliation as printed

    thriveGEO GmbH

29. Eleni Theodoridou Aachen Naturalis Biodiversity Center

    Naturalis Biodiversity Center

    Affiliation as printed

    Naturalis Biodiversity Center

30. Miguel Tillart

    Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

31. Jelle Treep

    Utrecht University

    Affiliation as printed

    Utrecht University

32. Gijs van den Oord

    Netherlands eScience Center

    Affiliation as printed

    Netherlands eScience Center

33. Martijn van der Marel
34. Ingrid van Gorkum
35. Joanne Yeomans
    Affiliation as printed

    Thematic Digital Competence Centre for the Natural and Engineering Sciences