In the digital and data driven paradigm promoted by Open Science, data is at the core of the scientific process and its production grows at ever increasing rates. The volume of data currently is many-fold larger compared to just two years ago. In science there are many intermediate data objects being created through the phases of research activities and they are managed within the research data lifecycle in which curation and preservation are key elements to make accessible data that are interoperable and reusable. Costs and physical limitations of storage and service capacity lead to the difficult question of what is worth long term preserving narrowing the selection to data and other digital objects that will have long-term benefits to science and society.

Coordination to harmonise practices and standards within and across the different scientific fields and adequate infrastructures are necessary to implement the level of curation and preservation needed and to offer the related services that differ in practice and effort per discipline ant type of data.