The necessary transformation of energy systems towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions provides a plethora of new research challenges. In this context, the digitalization towards cyber-physical energy systems (CPES) alleviates change, and equally affects technical, social, and societal topics, as well as the mode of research in the CPES research community. Research efforts towards CPES heavily rely on modeling and (co-)simulation-based approaches. Tracking of models together with all data creates a complex software and data management challenge, which needs to be addressed in each research project. In addition, energy system research is characterized by the fact that there is a strong connection to practice with industry partners on the one hand and a great need to involve society on the other hand. These additional stakeholders further increase the complexity of dealing with data and models in research.

To support researchers with these complex challenges, NFDI4Energy takes existing robust decision-making approaches, among others, developed in other NFDI consortia, and adapts them to the needs of its own research community.

• Establish open services to support energy researchers in the handling of digital research objects like research data and software;
• Simplify identification and coordination of simulation-based tools to enable more researchers to use simulations;
• Train and help researchers to use and understand the developed services;
• Enable and motivate the involvement of society in energy research to improve its relevance;
• Promote better collaboration and transfer between scientific research and industry based on shared data.

NFDI4Energy uses, builds and extends on the research and development platform of the project ZLE and the co-simulation tool mosaik.