In February of 2026, representatives of the Latvian Data Stewards Network – Elīna Peina from the Higher Education and Science IT Shared Services Center, Laura Badūne and Monta Simona Zeltiņa from Rīga Stradiņš University – had the opportunity to participate in the 20th edition of the International Digital Curation Conference (IDCC26), organised by the Digital Curation Centre.

The Digital Curation Centre (DCC) is a leading international organisation based in the United Kingdom that supports the best practices in research data management and digital curation. Its annual conference, IDCC, has become a key meeting point for the global data stewardship community.

This year’s conference took place from February 16 to 18 in Zagreb, Croatia, and brought together approximately 300 data practitioners. The central theme – “AI, austerity, and authoritarianism: contemporary challenges in digital curation” – reflected the rapidly changing environment in which research data is created, managed, and preserved. Discussions focused on the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI), the impact of financial constraints on infrastructure development, and wider political and governance challenges affecting long-term access to trustworthy data.

The programme combined workshops, keynote presentations, paper sessions, lightning talks, and poster presentations, offering both strategic perspectives and practical case studies. Keynote speakers – Senior Scientist from the Ruđer Boskovic Institute Antica Čulina, Director of Research Data Services of Indiana University Mikala Narlock, and Snyder-Granader Director of Research Data & Digital Scholarship at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries Dr Lynda Kellam – addressed the future of Open Science, responsible data stewardship, and the importance of community-driven approaches to sustaining research infrastructures. Parallel sessions covered topics such as:

  • AI and Machine Learning in data curation;
  • data management planning and infrastructure integration;
  • governance, trust, and certification frameworks;
  • sensitive data and ethical responsibility;
  • community building and professional skills development;
  • financial, environmental, and organisational sustainability.

Key Insights from the Conference

  • AI is becoming an integral component of research data governance. While AI tools can support metadata creation, data organisation, and planning processes, there is strong consensus that human oversight remains essential – especially when dealing with complex or sensitive data. AI should enhance professional expertise, not replace it.
  • Data Management Plans (DMPs) are evolving. Increasingly, DMPs are being integrated into research workflows as dynamic and interconnected tools rather than static administrative documents. This shift reflects a broader move toward coordinated, lifecycle-based research data management.
  • Trust, transparency, and sustainability were recurring themes throughout the event. Digital curation is not only a technical task but also an ethical and strategic commitment. Long-term investment, clear responsibilities, and community cooperation are essential to maintaining reliable and secure research infrastructures.
  • The complexity of the research environment is growing. Data management is no longer a linear process, it requires coordination across multiple systems, standards, and stakeholders. In this context, interoperability and well-designed workflows may be just as important as the adoption of new tools.

Participation in IDCC26 provided valuable international perspective. It was encouraging to see that Latvia’s current level of expertise aligns well with broader European developments while also confirming the importance of continuing to strengthen competencies, collaboration, and sustainable approaches in research data management.