Throughout the project's lifespan, OntoCommons produced a number of beneficial outcomes for the industrial community of ontologies/standards.The main results are measurable in terms of:
Cooperation
OntoCommons created the Knowledge Management Translator professional role to promote and support industry ontology adoption and development. Because of this role's transdisciplinary knowledge and experience requirements, as well as its establishment in the professional ecosystem, OntoCommons consulted stakeholders and experts to develop consistent and empirical Translator guidelines. In addition to developing an Ontology Commons Ecosystem Toolkit (OCES), the project identified Best Practises for Translators (summarised in “The Six Steps of Knowledge Management Translation”) and highlighted the necessary skills, education, and community cooperation. To enhance Translator networking and outreach, OntoCommons included the KMT profile to its Expert Database.
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D1.15 The Translator in Knowledge Management for Innovation – A Semantic Vocation of Value to Industry
- D1.14 The Translator in Knowledge Management for Innovation – towards Industry Commons
Top Reference Ontology
In collaboration with stakeholders, OntoCommons identified target disciplines for Middle Level Ontologies (MLO) and developed a priority list with considerations on compatibility and important non-ontological knowledge references. The project investigated already existing TLO and MLO landscapes, focusing on applications in the NMBP domain (Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Biotechnology, and Advanced Manufacturing and Processing). After examining demos and applications in various industries, the team compiled pertinent interviews and created two key outputs: the Top Reference Ontology (TRO) and the Ontology Commons Ecosystem Toolkit (OCES).To establish and maintain the Ontology Commons EcoSystems (OCES), OntoCommons improved the TRO by harmonizing, comparing, and extracting TLOs according to OCES requirements and also established harmonization methodologies for a common Lightweight TLO. Moreover, OntoCommons identified and developed an alignment process between existing MLOs and relevant disciplines, finding areas for future MLOs. Stakeholder participation has been prioritised, as well as bottom-up demands to create user-friendly MLOs. For MLO success, OntoCommons identified common modules, core vocabularies, and facilitated interoperability and domain-ontology harmonization.
Industrial Domain Ontologies
OntoCommons conducted a comprehensive assessment of domain-specific ontologies, identifying technical deficiencies and reviewing existing documentation. The project created a set of common ontological criteria for each domain based on this research and stakeholder contributions, adding views and competency questions about domain ontologies. OntoCommons also created an online register of related ontologies. Stakeholder meetings and research helped OntoCommons harmonise 10 already existing ontologies and prepare for three new ones. The project used these results to build its final report on domain interoperability, giving another vital tool for domain-specific ontology development and interoperability. The Review of Domain Interoperability (RoDI) provides empirical tools including suggestions, interoperability requirements, best practises for harmonisation and development, and rich analytical documentation. The report promotes semantic and pragmatic field interoperability throughout time.
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D3.2 Report on existing domain ontologies in identified domains
- D3.3 Report on populated domain ontology registry
Ontology Commons Ecosystem Toolkit
To guide future work, OntoCommons compiled a thorough overview of ontological creation and harmonisation tools and approaches. From this evaluation, the project defined and structured the Ontology Common EcoSystem (OCES) methodologically and technologically, as well as its assessment and growth principles and criteria.
OntoCommons examined stakeholder feedback to complete the OCES toolbox.
Demonstration
After examining 11 demonstration cases provided by partners or linked organisations, OntoCommons conducted a series of demonstrations for 10 additional cases.The project monitored and supported these cases from selection to completion, prioritising transparency and stakeholder engagement. OntoCommons developed a final report detailing and validating the demos and brief case studies. In addition to a workshop and other dissemination and external verification initiatives, the project incorporated these results into its Roadmap book.
Communication and Dissemination
Throughout the project's duration, OntoCommons has successfully created a vibrant and engaged community, boasting over 2,000 active members who actively participate through the website and social media channels. The online platform's database currently contains 1360+ registered users. 737 of them are Experts and members of the Focus Areas, who have helped shape the project's direction by actively engaging in its activities, offering valuable feedback, and contributing to the development of the project's roadmap.
Across the project social media platforms (Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube) followers have grown to surpass 1,900, indicating a substantial increase in OntoCommons digital presence, with interactions with followers, a higher volume of comments on postings, and a change towards more human-centric material that showcases the individuals participating in events.
Moreover, our community's geographical representation is broad: Europe remains the primary contributor, accounting for the majority of stakeholders, with Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom having the largest contingents of representatives. However, one-fifth of the group is from other parts of the world, Americas, Asia, Africa and Australia.