Data

Task Group on Materials Ontologies

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A new international Task Group on Materials Ontologies was launched at the Research Data Alliance’s 13th Plenary Meeting in Philadelphia on 4th April 2019. The Task Group is part of the remit of the RDA/CODATA Interest Group on Materials Data. It recognises the growing importance of ontologies in the Materials Science domain for delivering on the objectives and opportunities connected with digitalisation and “Materials 4.0”, in particular interoperability, information transparency, decision support based on data plus models and artificial intelligence.

There is an impressive and growing body of work on materials ontologies, in particular concerning database integration. with recent applications including a metallic materials ontology derived from the semantic knowledge base YAGO and a catalyst materials ontology including an integration of a database of computational data and one consisting of experimental data. Furthermore, the European Materials Modelling Council has been spearheading the development of a general materials science ontology framework, the European Materials & Modelling Ontology EMMO. Furthermore, there is a rich body of work related to chemicals and nanoparticles and nanomaterials safety, as well as analytical chemistry/characterisation.

The scope of the Task Group includes any type of materials/substance in any state at any scale and any ontology about materials or directly linked to materials, e.g. characterisation, modelling, processing, safety etc.

The Task Group initial topics and objectives include:

  • Creating awareness of pertinent RDA recommendations and reports concerning ontologies.
  • Networking of groups around the world with an interest in Materials Ontologies and mapping the field.
  • Making materials ontologies FAIR.
  • Collecting use cases and requirements.
  • Developing recommendations on governance of materials ontologies.
  • Discussion on upper level ontologies in the context of materials science needs.
  • Interoperability of materials ontologies and interfacing with ontology developments in adjacent fields such a manufacturing.
  • Ontology Alignment.

Communication about the Task Group will be carried out via the RDA/CODATA IG on Materials Data (so please join!).

 

Data background

Data in Materials and Manufacturing

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In a session of the EU Industry Days 2019 the question of how to increase European capacity to extract knowledge from materials and manufacturing data was discussed.

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Gerhard Goldbeck (Moderator) and panelists Riikka Virkkunen (VTT), Martin Winter (Cefic Innovation), Hedi Karray (Toulouse INP-ENIT), Uli Sattler (University of Manchester)

Delivering on the opportunities of Materials and Manufacturing within Industry 4.0 requires adding meaning to data (semantics), enabling interoperability and linking up silos. The huge benefits of structured data, common knowledge frameworks and interoperability were demonstrated and the importance of supporting uptake of such digital technologies in industry was emphasised. Benefits include higher efficiency of materials use, improved manufacturing value chain interactions and new business model opportunities. Current lack of semantics and interoperability are key barriers to accessing the value hidden in raw data (estimated to be 36 billion Euros) and to improved decision making. Ontologies are a core element of a set of solutions proposed by the panel and endorsed by audience contributions. All stakeholders are encouraged to collaborate and create a harmonised semantic knowledge framework open to everyone. Investments in a workforce trained in digital skills including semantic technologies is needed. The importance of overcoming ‘non-technical’ challenges such as legal, regulatory, security, data-sovereignty was highlighted. Building a system of trust and rewards for data sharing is required. Such a system, together with widely agreed ontology would enable Digital Marketplaces as an efficient way of realising Industry Commons. An audience poll showed a big gap between the need for and current capability in data interoperability and semantic technologies.  It confirms the need for action in this important field underpinning successful digitalisation of materials and manufacturing. Strong interest was expressed in working across domains in an alliance for digital materials and manufacturing.

A recording of the session is available.

Data background

Towards a Digital Materials Alliance for European industry

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Goldbeck Consulting is pleased to organise a session at the the EU Industry Days, 5/6 February 2019, the flagship EU event on industrial policy. The conference will include various sessions organised by different Commission departments and industrial stakeholders. High profile industry speakers will attend the event with the purpose of influencing and inspiring future industry leaders, and prompting discussion and debate amongst different audience categories.

The session on Digital Materials will take place on 6 February and discuss a range of questions including

  • How to increase European manufacturing and process industry capacity to extract knowledge from data?
  • How to support leadership by digital transformation of data into knowledge?
  • What actions are proposed for a common semantic knowledge base in materials?
  • How can efforts to build ontologies in various domains of materials and manufacturing be combined for best effect?
  • How to achieve that manufacturing companies remain competitive (new products, high-added value) on the basis of knowledge extracted from wide-spanning data sets?
  • How to promote European benefits from data management, standardised documentation enabling interoperability and linking tools for enriching and enhancing the usability of data?

The session will feature contributions from a range of experts including:

  • Martin Winter, Innovation Manager, Cefic Innovation, Advisory Group & Digital Technologies, European Chemical Industry Council.
  • Riikka Virkkunen, VTT Digitalising Industries Manager, EFFRA board member.
  • Ulrike Sattler, Professor of Computer Science, University of Manchester.
  • Tim Dahmen, Team Leader, German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Co-author of https://www. dgm.de/medien/print-medien/strategiepapier-digitale-transformation/
  • Hedi Karray, INP Toulouse, Industrial Ontologies Foundry

Registration for the conference is free.

Data background

European Materials Characterisation Council: new challenges for advanced materials characterisation in Europe

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The European Materials Characterisation Council (EMCC) will discuss new challenges for advanced materials characterisation in Europe at a pre-conference workshop of Industrial Technologies 2018 on 29 October 2018 in Vienna.  Topics of the workshop include harmonised advanced characterisation in Europe, next generation materials characterisation; improved access for industry to advanced characterisation and materials informatics, ontology and data management (Presentation by Gerhard Goldbeck).

Data background

IntOp2018: EMMC Workshop on Marketplaces and Interoperability

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Join peers from a wide range of backgrounds sharing an interest in materials digitalisation, from digital online marketplaces for materials modelling to interoperability and ontologies at IntOp2018, organised by the European Materials Modelling Council (EMMC) on 6-7 November in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.

Materials Modelling Marketplaces are next generation systems integrating tangible and intangible materials model components to support enhanced innovation. These digital marketplace take advantage of recent advances in information technologies to establish online innovation platforms to explore, learn, and create advanced materials modelling solutions covering all models and domains.

Wider interoperability across models and data is key to enhanced integration, marketplace and digitalisation. It requires agreement based on ontologies for materials,  including characterisation, modelling, processing of materials as well as data, models and services.

The workshop will discuss the establishment of a digital single marketplace as innovation hub for the advancements of materials based industries. The workshop addresses both key technological and organisational human capital gaps. 

The EMMC is seeking support of the entire community for the establishment of common standards for access to all online materials modelling resources including data repositories of materials properties, online modelling workflows, translation, education and training services.

The workshop will also host a kickoff session for the International Materials Ontology Interest Group led by the EMMC.

For further details and registration, see the EMMC website.

Software

CEN Standard on Materials modelling – terminology, classification and metadata

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The CEN (European Committee for Standardization) Workshop Agreement CWA_17284 “Materials modelling – terminology, classification and metadata”  described in an earlier post has been published. Here is the Abstract:

This CWA includes definitions of fundamental terms for the field of materials modelling and simulation. Computational materials models in this CWA are understood to be physics-based models. This CWA does not include data-based models. The definitions enable a classification of materials models. Using the entity and physics equation concepts, leads to a relatively small number of distinct materials models replacing the current situation of opacity of materials models and simulations that make the field hard to access for outsiders. This CWA also provides a systematic description and documentation of simulations including the user case, model, solver and post-processor: the “materials MOdelling DAta” (MODA). This document seeks to organize the information so that even complex simulation workflows can be conveyed more easily and key data about the models, solvers and post-processors and their implementation can be captured. A template MODA for physics-based models is described in order to guide users towards a complete documentation of material and process simulations. The CWA is based on the Review of Materials Modelling (RoMM). A MODA for data-based models can be found in the RoMM.

This document provides the basis for moving the materials modelling field up the semantic spectrum, laying the foundation for knowledge organisation achieved in many other fields (see e.g. the Osthus presentation “From Big Data to Big Analysis” given at the EMMC Workshop on Interoperability in Materials Modelling). It lays the foundation for developing and ontology of materials modelling, enabling interoperability, reasoning and knowledge extraction in the materials science domain.