Optimising cohort data in Europe

the formulation and administration of the operational goals of their firms. For cohort research in general and SNYCHROS in particular, the focus is on how research institutions (and their members) integrate knowledge and capabilities in order to conduct cross cohort research successfully. Capabilities refer to the recurrent patterns in creating, transferring, or otherwise “managing” knowledge. In the present context, knowledge capabilities represent knowledge operating capacities for leveraging the resources needed for coordinating cohorts. There are three main categories of knowledge capabilities namely, (i) integrative capabilities, (ii) combinative capabilitiesand (iii) knowledge integrationmechanisms. Integrativeknowledgecapabilities are needed when cohort research activities require the coordinated efforts of individual specialists who possess many different types of knowledge (e.g. data controllers and data contributors working in parallel). As such, they include aggregation, transferability and appropriability capabilities. Combinative capabilities associate existing methods, practices, data and infrastructures in different ways. Development in the coordination of cohorts is then defined by carrying out new combinations of “old” capabilities (e.g. using existing datasets for new research purposes). Finally, knowledge integration mechanisms ensure that knowledge on the coordination of cohorts can be shared, applied and implemented across domains and actors (e.g. data sharing between European countries or between different institutions with different data infrastructure). Depending on their types (rules and directives, routines, sequencing, problem-solving and decision-making), they may require intensive temporal and coordination resources. 1.2. Analytical Approach: Stakeholders' consultations, Capabilities and Resources Analysis and Strategic Agenda Our analytical approach is implemented in three steps namely (i) the stakeholder dialogue consultations, (ii) the identification of resources and capabilities according to RBV and KBV perspectives, and (iii) the formulation of the strategic agenda. In the first stage, various waves of stakeholder consultations are carried out within the SYNCHROS project. Issues related to multi-cohort integrative research are discussed and analysed systematically. Stakeholders of the project were representatives of the following communities: y y Researchers / PIs and representatives of research projects that use data from different cohorts, y y Experts in harmonisation methodologies, ethical and legal domains, and representatives of infrastructures, y y Funders, e.g. National Ministries of Health, the European Commission or private funders like the Welcome Trust.