FORGE

This project deploys and validates a cross-node genomics scientific use case within the EOSC Federation, coordinated by Area Science Park (AREA). It integrates the ORFEO HPC/AI infrastructure into a federated EOSC workflow in collaboration with the CERN EOSC Node and the Italian EOSC Node (Fondazione ICSC), building on mature, production-grade infrastructures already designed for scalability, FAIR alignment, and long-term sustainability.

Two key technologies sit at the heart of the workflow. ORFEO is AREA’s HPC/AI data centre, supporting large-scale genomics, multi-omics, and data-intensive workflows within a FAIR-by-design ecosystem, and is being positioned as a federation-ready national infrastructure through collaboration with Fondazione ICSC. Rucio is an open-source, policy-aware data management system developed at CERN for orchestrating distributed data across heterogeneous storage infrastructures, currently proposed as one of the possible backbones for EOSC-wide data federation beyond the High-Energy Physics domain.

The innovation lies in delivering a functional “find, access, process” workflow across nodes in a real-world genomics scenario. Outputs include a federation-ready integration of ORFEO S3 storage into CERN’s Rucio instance; ingestion, metadata enrichment, and registration of genomics datasets; metadata profiling and registration within the Italian EOSC Node catalogue to enhance findability; a policy-compliant cross-node access model; a fully documented scientific workflow demonstrating distributed analysis; and a reusable integration pattern (National Catalog + Rucio + Federated Analysis Environment) that other research infrastructures and future EOSC Nodes can adopt directly.

From a researcher’s perspective, the result is a federated environment where datasets can be discovered through national catalogue services, accessed via federated data management mechanisms, and analysed within EOSC-integrated environments, without manual transfers or unnecessary duplication. Researchers retain full scientific flexibility, choosing preferred analysis tools such as REANA, Galaxy, or Jupyter and adapting computational pipelines to their specific needs.

The genomics use case will also be transformed into structured training material, initially embedded in the Master in Data Management and Curation (MDMC) and subsequently adapted for the EOSC Academy catalogue, strengthening practical interoperability competences and supporting capacity building across the EOSC ecosystem.

The proposal aligns with EU Open Science policies and the EOSC Federation’s strategic objective of enabling interoperable, cross-domain research data sharing across national and European infrastructures. By deploying a cross-node “find, access, process” workflow, the project contributes to the practical consolidation of the EOSC Federation and supports the transition from isolated services to coordinated, federation-ready infrastructures.

FAIRness is enhanced in concrete, measurable ways. Findability is reinforced through structured metadata profiling and registration within the Italian EOSC Node catalogue. Accessibility is ensured via policy-aware data management through Rucio, enabling controlled and traceable cross-site access. Interoperability is strengthened by aligning metadata standards, access rules, and storage orchestration across heterogeneous infrastructures. Reusability is supported through detailed technical documentation and reproducible workflow descriptions.

For participating organisations, the project provides a tangible pathway toward EOSC Federation integration. Area Science Park validates the connection of its ORFEO HPC infrastructure to EOSC Nodes within a production-ready framework, reinforcing its role within Fondazione ICSC and the Italian Node ecosystem. CERN extends the applicability of Rucio beyond High-Energy Physics, demonstrating its relevance for life science workflows and heterogeneous data environments.

For research communities, the project delivers a federated environment that improves discoverability, reduces unnecessary data duplication, optimises compute locality through a compute-to-data approach, and simplifies access to distributed resources, directly supporting more efficient, policy-compliant, and FAIR-aligned genomics research within the EOSC Federation.

The pilot establishes a reusable integration pattern (National Catalog + Rucio + Federated Analysis Environment) that other research infrastructures can replicate to connect local storage and compute resources to EOSC Nodes. The architecture is domain-agnostic and extends naturally beyond genomics to other data-intensive disciplines, providing a scalable model for federation-ready infrastructures.

Scalability is ensured at multiple levels. Technically, the solution builds on production-grade, open-source components (Rucio and REANA) already adopted and maintained by large international research communities, whose active development and broad user base guarantee long-term robustness and interoperability. Institutionally, ORFEO is embedded within AREA’s strategic roadmap and connected to the Italian EOSC Node through Fondazione ICSC, ensuring alignment with national and European EOSC developments.

The use case also demonstrates strengthened intra-node synergies. The interplay between metadata discovery via the Italian EOSC Node catalogue and policy-aware access mediated by Rucio highlights the importance of harmonised metadata profiling and access standards within a federated ecosystem, while the integration of ORFEO S3 storage into Rucio validates transparent, rule-based data orchestration across heterogeneous backends.

The current pilot focuses on open, non-sensitive datasets. Progressive integration of advanced Authentication and Authorisation Infrastructure (AAI) mechanisms, already foreseen in the strategic agendas of both ORFEO and Rucio, will enable future extension to controlled-access, GDPR-compliant life science data.