ALL-RUSSIAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION-WORLD DATA CENTRE

Their core work

RIHMI-WDC is Russia's national centre for collecting, archiving, and distributing hydrometeorological and environmental data, operating as a World Data Centre under international agreements. They specialize in managing large-scale ocean, atmosphere, and climate observation datasets and making them interoperable across international research networks. Their H2020 involvement centres on contributing Russian environmental data assets — particularly Arctic and marine observations — to pan-European data infrastructures. They serve as a critical data node connecting Russian monitoring stations and archives to global ocean and climate science platforms.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

RIHMI-WDC's early H2020 engagement (2015) started with ocean data interoperability standards through ODIP 2, focused on technical plumbing for connecting distributed marine databases. By 2016, their participation expanded toward both large-scale data infrastructure (SeaDataCloud) and domain-specific Arctic observation (INTAROS), signalling a shift from pure data management toward integrated environmental monitoring with a clear Arctic focus. The trajectory shows a move from behind-the-scenes data standardisation work toward more scientifically visible contributions in Arctic and climate observation systems.

Moving from technical data infrastructure roles toward direct scientific contributions in Arctic and polar environmental monitoring — a valuable direction given the growing importance of Arctic climate data.

How they like to work

RIHMI-WDC operates exclusively as a participant, never as a coordinator — consistent with their role as a data provider contributing Russian datasets to European-led infrastructures. They work in very large consortia (97 unique partners across 35 countries), which reflects the nature of pan-European research infrastructure projects rather than a preference for small focused teams. This makes them an experienced partner in complex multi-national projects, comfortable with the coordination overhead of large collaborative frameworks.

Remarkably broad network for just 3 projects: 97 unique partners across 35 countries, driven by participation in large-scale European research infrastructure initiatives. Their geographic reach spans well beyond Europe, reflecting the global nature of ocean and climate data networks.

What sets them apart

RIHMI-WDC's distinctive value lies in being Russia's official gateway for hydrometeorological and environmental data within European research frameworks. For any project requiring access to Russian Arctic, ocean, or atmospheric monitoring data, they are essentially the institutional entry point. Their World Data Centre designation gives them a formal mandate and established protocols for international data sharing that few other Russian institutions can match.

Highlights from their portfolio

• INTAROS
  Six-year integrated Arctic observation project spanning ocean, atmosphere, ice, and terrestrial ecosystems — the most scientifically ambitious of their portfolio and directly relevant to climate research.
• SeaDataCloud
  Five-year pan-European marine data infrastructure project, representing one of the largest efforts to unify ocean data management across Europe — positions RIHMI-WDC as a key node in this network.