Closing the bioinformatics skills gap in Europe

FAIR data practices and cross-border collaboration are key to closing Europe’s bioinformatics skills gap, according to Krzysztof Poterlowicz, ELIXIR-UK Training Coordinator and Professor of Bioinformatics and Biomedical Data Sciences at the University of Bradford.

In a recent interview with ICT&Health Global, Krzysztof Poterlowicz highlighted how ELIXIR-UK is building national capacity, fostering professionalisation of key research data roles and preparing life scientists for a data-driven future. He pointed to the Data Stewardship Fellowship, which onboarded 24 Fellows across 17 UK institutions, delivering training and creating materials and courses, and to the UK Training Club, which embeds ELIXIR training practices at the national level. Both, he said, could serve as success models for other countries.

The conversation also touched on BioFAIR, the UK’s life sciences digital research infrastructure, and on ELIXIR-UK’s contributions to platforms such as Galaxy, WorkflowHub, and TeSS. Poterlowicz stressed that training is what makes infrastructure usable.

“The most urgent need isn’t simply more training, but actionable training tied to real tools and services. Institutions also need support to build sustainable roles with clear career paths so that expertise doesn’t disappear when short-term projects end. Being part of ELIXIR gives us the leverage to advocate for these changes nationally.”

By coordinating national training initiatives and contributing to European platforms, ELIXIR-UK is helping ensure that the next generation of life scientists are equipped not only with technical expertise but also with the ability to work across disciplines, data types, and borders.

Read the full interview in ICT&Health Global.