DRIVER: Networking European Scientific Repositories

DRIVER has established a network of relevant experts and Open Access repositories. DRIVER-II will consolidate these efforts and transform the initial testbed into a fully functional, state-of-the art service, extending the network to a larger confederation of repositories. DRIVER is integral to the suite of electronic infrastructures that have emerged in the worldwide GÉANT network and is hence funded under the e-Infrastructures call of the European Commission's 7th framework programme. It aims to “… optimise the way the e-Infrastructure is used to store knowledge, add value to primary research data and information making secondary research more effective, provide a valuable asset for industry, and help bridging research and education.”

The objectives of DRIVER-II, the second phase of the project, include efforts to expand, enrich, and strengthen the results of DRIVER, in the following areas:

• strategic geographic and communtiy expansion by means of the DRIVER confederation
• establish a robust, scalable repository infrastructure accompanied by an open source software package D-Net
• broader coverage of content through the use of enhanced publications
• advanced end-user functionality to support scientific exploration of complex digital objects
• larger outreach and advocacy programmes
• continued repository support
• guidelines for interoperability in the larger European digital library community
• Open Access to European research materials