Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
costs of commercial and academic software come down, resulting in
more appropriate resources for the public and private scientifi c
community. In turn, this makes the job of capturing, annotating,
integrating, sharing and exploiting data simpler, increasing the prima
facie value of the data to others (secondary users) and increasing the
return on the investment that supported their generation.
Many challenges lie ahead. Unequivocal 'rules of engagement' must be
defi ned, extensive community liaison managed and rewards and incentives
identifi ed for all contributors, whether from the commercial or public
sector. In particular, ownership of standards can be problematic in broad
collaborations. The appropriate legal framework is still in embryonic
form, yet IP rights and licenses must be established to (1) defi ne the
boundaries for commercial exploitation by creators and contributors;
(2) enable commercial entities to freely contribute time, use cases and
requirements; and (3) manage revenues arising from the commercial
exploitation of the IP inherent in a resource.
Another critical issue that remains to be addressed is the development
of a strategy for the long-term sustainability of this endeavor. Industry
funding cannot be the sole source of support, as budgets and priorities
fluctuate year to year. Robust relationships among appropriate
commercial stakeholders, coupled with participation by governments
and research funding organizations will make for a more diversifi ed
funding portfolio, buffering the project against fl uctuations in the ability
of any one partner to contribute. Overall, the cost of implementing this
vision is signifi cant and requires BioSharing to continue enlarging its
community; particularly, in close partnership with the industry-driven
Pistoia Alliance [4].
7.3 The ISA framework - principles
for progress
1. Standards initiatives should be more like rafts than cruise liners:
simple and unsinkable.
2. As with any evolutionary change, each step should bring reward, not
depend on belief.
3. Existing initiatives should be leveraged where possible, for effi ciency
and buy-in.
4. Solutions should be forward-looking with respect to further, deeper
integration.
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