ICES Data Centre has been reaccredited by CoreTrustSeal (CTS), renewing its status as a trusted and internationally certified data repository. The renewed accreditation, awarded in April 2025, will remain valid until 2028 and highlights our ongoing commitment to high-quality, transparent, and sustainable data management.
ICES was first awarded CoreTrustSeal certification in 2021. The CTS programme, operating on a three-year accreditation cycle, sets international standards for trustworthy data repositories. Each application is peer-reviewed by independent experts to ensure that the organization's approach to data curation, access, and preservation meets rigorous and transparent criteria.
Over the past three years, our Data Centre, together with the Data and Information Group (DIG) and our IT team, has focused on addressing recommendations from the initial review, most notably by developing a comprehensive Data Preservation Plan. This plan is a crucial part of ensuring long-term accessibility and usability of ICES data, and was highlighted as an important area for improvement in the 2021 assessment.
With this renewed certification, the Data Centre joins other trusted repositories, such as the Marine Institute, Ireland, the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, and the British Oceanographic Data Centre in setting a high standard for data governance.
David Currie, Chair of DIG, shared his thoughts on the achievement, stating, "Achieving reaccreditation to the CoreTrustSeal standard shows that the work of ICES Data Centre is recognized by the international community. The standard requires a commitment to continual improvement, and this culture has been embedded in all parts of the Data Centre. When ICES first achieved accreditation in 2021, some areas were highlighted where improvements were possible – the Data Centre have worked hard to implement the policies and procedures required to raise the quality of their data management in these areas."
Currie continued, "DIG fully supports ICES Data Centre on their accreditation journey, and we believe the improvements it has triggered benefit the whole of the ICES network, including the recipients of ICES advice. It is very encouraging to see the Data Centre leading the way with this important achievement."
This reaccreditation not only strengthens trust in ICES among our stakeholders and data users but also our commitment to delivering high-quality, internationally recognized data that underpins our science and advice.
Congratulations to the Data Centre for this step forward in supporting our mission to provide a robust and transparent evidence base for sustainable ocean management.
