Designing a FAIR Catalogue of Services for the Heritage Science community

Background: The European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS), recently granted with European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) legal status, aims to advance research by facilitating access to cutting-edge scientific services and tools in the domain of heritage science. One of the major challenges and achievements during its implementation phase (2022–2024, G.A. 101079148) was the creation of the Catalogue of Services (CoS)—a digital platform that helps users find, request, and manage access to both physical and digital services offered by E-RIHS partners. Method: This paper introduces the concept, design, and development of the E-RIHS CoS, emphasising how it follows FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and Open Science principles. Built with a strong focus on real research needs, the platform features a flexible and scalable architecture. It includes tools like semantic search, automated workflows, and customized dashboards based on user roles. The paper also places the CoS in the broader context of similar platforms from other research infrastructures, and point out its novel features—such as a recommendation engine, multilingual support, and advanced data analytics. Results and Conclusions: Now, the E-RIHS CoS is online, providing a single access entry to E-RIHS ERIC services and making easy to find and select the most adequate scientific services based on the users’ research questions. It is a solid and forward-thinking digital tool designed to support high-quality research, foster collaboration, and make heritage science more inclusive and accessible.