The launch of Open Repositories Ireland (ORI) marks a significant milestone in Ireland’s open research infrastructure, providing a sustainable, collaborative framework for repository development and preservation. ORI aims to address key challenges in the Irish repository landscape, such as fragmented metadata practices, staffing shortages, and the lack of preservation strategies. By aligning Irish repositories with international standards like OpenAIRE and Plan S, ORI seeks to make Irish research more visible and accessible globally. This talk will detail the role of ORI in promoting sustainable governance, training, and metadata alignment, ensuring long-term accessibility and preservation of repository content. The presentation will highlight lessons learned from the NORF Open Access Repository Project and provide practical insights for other countries and institutions aiming to strengthen their repository networks.

This presentation introduces work done to visualise co-authorship patterns across the British Library Research Repository and the Cultural Heritage Shared Research Repository. The visualisation program was developed to help repository managers of the Shared Research Repository visualize content and map co-authorship networks, graphical representations of relationships between authors based on shared publications. Co-authorship networks are crucial for identifying collaboration patterns, key contributors, and the structure of research communities. Using machine learning, subject clusters were also identified by analyzing metadata, such as keywords and abstracts. These clusters reveal thematic areas and were visually integrated into the co-authorship networks, linking authors to specific subjects.

This approach allows repository managers to explore research themes, identify leading authors, and understand connections between works and cultural heritage institutions. The tool enhances the accessibility and usability of repository resources, providing transferable solutions for each partner repository in the Shared Repository. By offering actionable insights, it supports data dissemination to funders, administrators, and the public while advancing understanding of the cultural heritage sector.

Institutional repositories and generalist repositories are evolving to meet new challenges in research data sharing. The NIH Generalist Repository Ecosystem Initiative (GREI) brings together seven leading generalist repositories to determine common data repository standards and enhance interoperability. Building on GREI's presentation at Open Repositories 2024, this panel will explore how institutions are leveraging generalist repository infrastructure to support their data sharing needs.

Through real-world examples, panelists will demonstrate how different institutions utilize generalist repository features and services to enhance their data sharing workflows. The discussion will highlight various implementation approaches, from hosted solutions to self-managed instances, and examine how these platforms accommodate different disciplinary requirements and administrative preferences. Panelists will share experiences with different deposit models, curation workflows, and strategies for ensuring FAIR data sharing while maintaining institutional identity.

This session will benefit repository managers, librarians, research administrators, and others involved in institutional data sharing. Attendees will gain practical insights into how generalist repository infrastructure can support institutional needs, enhance research data discovery, and contribute to an interoperable repository ecosystem. The session will include interactive polling and dedicated time for audience Q&A to facilitate deeper exploration of specific use cases and implementation strategies.

As part of WACREN's commitment to advancing equitable access to research outputs and digital resources across West and Central Africa, we have deployed BAOBAB—an Invenio-based digital repository that provides open access to academic and research content for our member institutions. BAOBAB is designed not only to store research content but also to ensure its long-term sustainability. A key feature is the automated assignment of Archival Resource Keys (ARKs), providing persistent identifiers to every uploaded item, which is critical for digital preservation and discovery.

In this presentation, we discuss the implementation and adoption of BAOBAB, our integration of ARKs, and the challenges and lessons learned in building sustainable repository infrastructure for diverse institutional needs. Our goal is to inspire and inform repository managers, developers, and librarians on how regional repositories like BAOBAB can contribute to sustainable access to knowledge and preservation of content across generations.