FAIR Digital Object Demonstrators 2021

This paper gives a summary of implementation activities in the realm of FAIR Digital Objects (FDO). It gives an idea which software components are robust and used for many years, which components are comparatively new and are being tested out in pilot projects and what the challenges are that need to be urgently addressed by the FDO community. After basically only one year of advancing the FDO specifications by the FDO Forum we can recognise an increasing momentum to test and integrate essential FDO components. However, many developments still occur as soloistic engagements that offer a scattered picture. It is widely agreed that it is now time to combine these different pilots to comprehensive testbeds, to identify still existing gaps and to turn some services into components of a convincing and stable infrastructure. This step is urgently needed to convince even more institutions to invest in FDO technology and therefore to increase FAIRness of the evolving global data space.