The RDCnet at the EBDC

Tasks

Today, sensitive research data from German research data centers (RDC) is often only made available physically on site at the secure, monitored guest scientists' workstations in their own RDC under the supervision and with the advice of specialist staff. This often generates significant avoidable travel and time costs for the guest users, pollutes the environment, and in the worst case prevents innovative research projects in case of budget or space limitations. For this reason, the NFDI consortium KonsortSWD has launched the "RDCnet" (TA.2-M.2), which aims to establish a technical and organizational multilateral infrastructure between RDCs. In this way, RDC A can also access RDC B via a secure Internet connection. No research data has to leave the home RDC B and the same data protection and security standards apply everywhere, so that the confidentiality of the data is maintained at all times. The LMU-ifo Economics & Business Data Center (EBDC) is actively involved in the development and implementation of the “RDCnet”. In doing so, it is currently creating extensive technical, organizational, and regulatory prerequisites in order to be able to act both as a data provider and data recipient in the RDC network and thus significantly increase the user base of ifo survey data.