Mission
GBIF Sweden serves as the national hub for biodiversity information and international data exchange. Its mission is to provide researchers, public authorities and other stakeholders with open access to high-quality biodiversity data from Sweden and beyond. By continuously harvesting, curating and sharing data through the GBIF network, GBIF Sweden supports scientific research, policy development and conservation efforts. The node also works to strengthen the use of biodiversity information in society and contributes actively to the global community committed to open and FAIR data, with explicit support for the implementation of the CARE principles for Indigenous data governance.
Funding
GBIF Sweden is funded primarily through the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet; grant no. 2023-00184), which provides core support for the operation of the national node. Additional in-kind contributions are provided by the hosting institution, the Swedish Museum of Natural History (Naturhistoriska riksmuseet, NRM), including staff expertise and infrastructure. Together, these resources ensure the node’s ability to coordinate national participation in GBIF, support data publishers and maintain Sweden’s contribution to the global biodiversity information infrastructure.
History
Sweden was among the early supporters of GBIF and became a Voting Participant in 2001, the same year the GBIF Memorandum of Understanding entered into force. The Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm was designated as the host institution for the national node, which formally launched as GBIF Sweden in 2003. Since then, the node has coordinated Sweden’s participation in GBIF by facilitating the mobilization and use of biodiversity data, supporting national data publishers and representing Sweden in the international GBIF community. Over the years, GBIF Sweden has contributed to building technical capacity and strengthening data infrastructures, while also engaging in collaborative European and global projects that advance biodiversity informatics.
Structure
GBIF Sweden is hosted by the Swedish Museum of Natural History, at the Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics. The node is a partner in the Swedish Biodiversity Data Infrastructure (SBDI), where it serves as the international component that connects national activities with the global GBIF network. Unlike SBDI, which is a national research infrastructure of strategic interest, GBIF Sweden is established as a long-term government assignment, providing continuity and stability for Sweden’s participation in GBIF. Strategic oversight of GBIF Sweden is embedded in the SBDI Steering Committee, which brings together universities, research infrastructures, and government agencies engaged in biodiversity data management and use.