Many companies, advisors and agricultural service providers rely on soil data to support the development and enhancement of digital tools, advisory services and environmental solutions. However, soil datasets are often scattered across different platforms, described using inconsistent metadata, or difficult to integrate. This fragmentation makes it harder for businesses to efficiently identify reliable data and develop new services based on soil information.

The SoilWise project addresses this challenge through the SoilWise Catalogue, a platform designed to improve the discoverability, harmonisation and reuse of soil data. Demonstrations of the first SoilWise Catalogue prototype with representatives from the agri-tech sector, research organisations and advisory services showcased how the SoilWise Catalogue allows users to search, preview and assess datasets from different sources. Tools such as metadata harmonisation and data transformation (e.g. through HALE Studio) help standardise datasets and make them easier to integrate into digital services or analytical workflows.

For businesses and service providers, the main benefit is faster access to harmonised soil data that can support the development of new products, advisory tools and decision-support services, while streamlining their workflows. By leveraging standardised metadata and interoperable datasets, organisations can reduce the time and effort spent preparing data and instead, focus on innovation. Finally, improved data visibility can also help companies identify new market opportunities and collaborate more easily with researchers, farmers and public authorities working on soil health and sustainable land management.

• D5.3 –User Case Deployment and Evaluation Report, v1
• SoilWise-he project demo events - First Iteration
• SoilWise Demo Event for Business Community and Farming Professionals

Living Labs and public authorities collect valuable soil health data through monitoring activities and field experiments. However, these datasets are often difficult to share or reuse because of inconsistent formats, missing metadata, or complex data management tools. As a result, useful soil information may remain underused for research, innovation and policy support.

The SoilWise project addresses this challenge by developing the SoilWise Catalogue, a platform that helps users apply FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) to soil data. Demonstrations of the first SoilWise Catalogue prototype with Living Lab actors and public authorities show how the SoilWise Catalogue can be used to search, preview and download soil datasets from different European sources. The platform also provides tools that help users organise metadata and explore soil data through maps and filters.

For Living Labs and public authorities, the main benefit is easier access to existing soil datasets and improved sharing of their own monitoring results. By using common data standards and FAIR practices, Living Labs can increase the visibility and impact of their data, support collaboration with researchers and policymakers, and contribute to better soil monitoring across Europe. Training sessions and practical demonstrations help users understand how to publish and reuse soil data more efficiently within the SoilWise ecosystem.

• D5.3 –User Case Deployment and Evaluation Report, v1
• SoilWise-he project demo events - First Iteration
• SoilWise Demo Seesion for LivingLabs within SOILL-Startup - Soil Health Monitor…

Public authorities across the EU face a common problem: vast amounts of soil data are collected for monitoring and reporting but stored in incompatible formats across different national systems. This fragmentation makes it slow and costly to find, access and reuse data, which delays reporting processes and weakening the evidence base for soil policy decisions.

The SoilWise project has developed the SoilWise Catalogue, a platform that makes soil datasets across Europe easier to find, access and exchange. Using tools such as standardised metadata, catalogue search functions and the Geopackage-SOIL transformation format, the platform aligns national datasets with common EU reporting requirements. A demonstration of the first SoilWise Catalogue prototype with 27 policy and data management stakeholders from across the EIONET network showed promising results, with an estimated 20% improvement in data discoverability and accessibility for institutional reporting.

For public authorities and data providers, the practical benefits are clear: faster reporting workflows, less duplication of effort between Member States, and stronger readiness to meet obligations under the EU Soil Monitoring Law. Institutions can begin by aligning their national datasets with the Geopackage-SOIL format and connecting to the SoilWise Repository to share and access harmonised data.

The more institutions adopt common data standards, the greater the collective benefit — reducing costs, improving collaboration, and building a stronger shared knowledge base for evidence-based soil policy across Europe.

• D5.3 –User Case Deployment and Evaluation Report, v1
• SoilWise-he project demo events - First Iteration
• SoilWise demo session for policy makers

Soil researchers often face difficulties finding and reusing relevant soil datasets because data are scattered across many platforms and described using different standards. This limits collaboration, slows research workflows and makes it harder to reuse existing knowledge. The SoilWise project addresses this challenge by developing the SoilWise Catalogue, a digital platform designed to improve the FAIRness (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reusability) of soil data and knowledge.

Demonstration events of the first SoilWise Catalogue prototype with researchers showed how the SoilWise Catalogue can help scientists more quickly identify relevant soil datasets, publications and resources for their research. Through practical scenarios, such as agroforestry studies and phosphorus fertilization experiments, researchers tested how the repository can support modelling and experimental design by improving data discovery. Tools such as faceted filters, metadata search functions and data transformation services (including Hale Studio) help researchers find datasets more efficiently and prepare them for further analysis. Over 100 researchers participated across both events, and 25 continued engaging with the platform afterwards. Based on their feedback, key catalogue features including filtering and metadata handling have already been improved.

For researchers, the main benefit of the SoilWise Catalogue is faster and more targeted access to soil data from different sources, saving time during the data discovery phase of research projects. By using the catalogue and improving the quality of metadata when publishing datasets, researchers can also make their own data easier to find and reuse by others. Feedback from the demonstrations highlighted the importance of clear metadata, improved filtering options and user-friendly interfaces to further enhance data interoperability and collaboration across soil research projects.

• D5.3 –User Case Deployment and Evaluation Report, v1
• SoilWise-he Project Demo Events - First Iteration
• Soilwise demo event for researcher community

Farmers and land managers need reliable and easy access to soil information to adapt management practices to local conditions and improve soil health. However, soil knowledge and datasets are often scattered and difficult to access. The SoilWise project addresses this challenge by developing the SoilWise Catalogue and the Soil Companion chatbot, two digital tools designed to help farmers, land managers and agronomists find and use soil-related knowledge more easily.

Both tools were tested with 24 farmers and advisors from Belgium, France and the Czech Republic, whose feedback has already led to concrete improvements in how the tools work. Demonstration events of the first SoilWise Catalogue prototype with farmers and advisors showed how the SoilWise Catalogue allows users to search for soil datasets, research results and practical resources relevant to soil management. The Soil Companion chatbot can also suggest possible management options, for example practices to improve soil organic matter.

For practitioners, these tools can save time when looking for soil information and support better decision-making at field level. By combining their own soil test results with information available in the catalogue, farmers and advisors can identify suitable management practices to improve soil health and productivity. Feedback from stakeholders highlighted that integrating more local agronomic data will further improve the relevance of the advice and allow more precise, site-specific recommendations.

• D5.3 – User Case Deployment and Evaluation Report, v1
• SoilWise-he project demo events of the First Iteration
• SoilWise-he project demo event for land managers - Session 1
• SoilWise-he project demo event for land managers - Session 2