FAIRmat Wins European Digital Skills Award
The consortium for research data infrastructure in materials science, coordinated by Humboldt-Universität, has been recognized by the European Commission
As research becomes increasingly data-driven, it is more important than ever to organize scientific data in ways that allow researchers, software tools, and artificial intelligence systems to use them effectively. The FAIRmat consortium provides researchers with solutions for structuring, sharing, and reusing scientific data. At the end of June, FAIRmat received the European Digital Skills Award 2026 in the category “Digital Upskilling @ Work” from Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission.
“We are delighted to receive this recognition from the European Commission,” says Prof. Dr. Claudia Draxl, spokesperson of FAIRmat and Professor of Physics at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. “Scientific progress increasingly depends on our ability to work effectively with data. FAIRmat develops infrastructure and data standards and brings them to the scientific community to help researchers transition toward data-driven science. This award recognizes the collective effort of our team and our partner institutions to make research data more accessible, reusable, and valuable for future discoveries.”
Digital skills and materials research
The European Digital Skills Awards honor initiatives that promote digital skills and support the European Union’s digital transformation across education, industry, public services, and research. The awards are presented as part of the European Union’s Digital Decade 2030 initiative.
FAIRmat was selected from more than 220 applications submitted by organizations across Europe. The award recognizes FAIRmat’s contribution to advancing a digital, data-driven way of working in scientific research.
At the heart of FAIRmat is NOMAD, the consortium’s research data management platform, where materials science data can be processed and stored. These data form the basis for their reuse in future research as well as artificial intelligence applications. NOMAD enables researchers in materials science to integrate data-driven methods into their research. Beyond the software itself, FAIRmat offers a comprehensive outreach program that supports researchers on their path toward a data-driven digital future.
Further information:
European Digital Skills Awards 2026
Press release by HU Berlin, 3 July 2026