Digital data, services and infrastructure
The partner interview
Isabelle Blanc Ministerial Administrator of Data, Algorithms and Source Codes, Advisor to the Director General for Research and Innovation and the Director General for Higher Education and Professional Integration. National Chief data and software officer.
How would you describe the state of collaboration with BRGM with respect to data?
Isabelle Blanc — BRGM has a head start on major issues at the heart of our public policies, namely the production, sharing and opening up of its data, and its re-use by researchers and society as a whole.
The Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR) is one of BRGM's three supervisory bodies. As such, it supports BRGM's research on geological phenomena and the corresponding risks. In particular, it acts as an expert producer and disseminator of data on the ground, subsurface and resources. The combination of its research and data production contributes to studies aimed at anticipating and assessing natural hazards, the conservation of natural resources, the assessment of mineral resources, groundwater management, geothermal energy and renewable energies.
Before the importance of open data was fully recognised, BRGM had already developed solid know-how in the collection of reliable geoscience data. By opening up its data more widely, BRGM is now establishing itself as a committed player in the fields of Earth and environmental sciences.
Can you summarise the main projects currently underway?
I.B. — BRGM contributes to the Recherche Data Gouv ecosystem for data sharing and opening, through two Data Terra projects: the EaSy Data portal for long-tail Earth system data and the Solid Earth data portal.
BRGM also hosts one of the regional data centres approved by MESR. It also contributes to the development of research data policy through its Chief Data Officer.
More generally, what is your vision of the implementation of the Open Science policy within an institution such as BRGM?
I.B. — BRGM develops services based on the data it produces. These services are intended for communities beyond the research community. It has a strong public policy support mission and makes its data available to citizens, as well as to businesses for innovation. Its data services and expertise enable BRGM to forge public and private partnerships with industry and smaller companies.
