Digital humanities information infrastructures receive the Academy of Finland's roadmap status

The national digital humanities information infrastructure proposal Common Language Resources and Technology Infrastructure (FIN-CLARIAH), prepared under the auspices of the Center for Digital Humanities (HELDIG), has received the Academy of Finland’s roadmap status.

A total of 29 high-quality research infrastructures were selected to the new roadmap. The roadmap for national research infrastructures is a list of strategically significant research infrastructure services needed over the next 10–15 years in the Finnish research, development and innovation system. Research infrastructures refer to tools, equipment, computer networks, databases and materials, as well as services that enable research, promote research collaboration and strengthen research and innovation capacity and expertise.

The FIN-CLARIAH co-operation involves the University of Helsinki, Aalto University, CSC - Center for Science Information Technology Ltd, University of Eastern Finland, University of Jyväskylä, National Archives, Center for Finnish Languages, University of Tampere, University of Turku and University of Vaasa.

Aalto's share in the infrastructure is related to language technology and the Linked Open Data Infrastructure for Digital Humanities in Finland (LODI4DH) developed by the Semantic Computing Research Group (SeCo) of the Department of Computer Science. It includes ontology and data services published on CSC's servers, tools, and semantic Sampo portals developed for use by researchers and the general public, which have had millions of users online to date. The work has been done together with the HELDIG Center of the University of Helsinki, and it is part of the infrastructure program of the Aalto University School of Science.

‘FIN-CLARIAH provides a long-term framework for developing cooperation between researchers in the humanities and social sciences and computer scientists at Aalto,’ says Eero Hyvönen, Professor at Aalto University and Director of the HELDIG Center at the University of Helsinki.

The goal of the FIN-CLARIAH project is to become a full member of the EU-level (ERIC) DARIAH infrastructure program in the future. Finland is already participating in the European Union's CLARIN program. Access to the roadmap offers new opportunities for domestic and international cooperation and long-term financing for the maintenance and development of infrastructures. Now DARIAH includes Aalto University and the University of Helsinki / HELDIG from Finland, but only with cooperating partner status.

Further information 

Eero Hyvönen
Professor, Aalto University
Director, Digital Humanities Center HELDIG / University of Helsinki
Phone +358 50 3841 618
eero.hyvonen@aalto.fi