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At the recent Biodiversity Informatics Horizons 2013 conference in Rome <http://conference.lifewatch.unisalento.it/index.php/EBIC/BIH2013/index>, delegates agreed that biodiversity informatics needed a clear long-term goal to develop a community identity. The goal identified was predictive modelling of the biosphere. In the short-term we need (i) clarity of vision, greater focus on end-goals; (ii) good, simple tools with syntactic operability; (iii) community identity; and (iv) links.  This last means both networking links between people, links between machines holding data resources and links with other communities, especially ecology and policy.

One immediate challenge for us is to stop simply trying to digitise everything and to start asking specific questions.  The question will dictate what further data are needed and can also dictate the data quality required.

The 3 key words are: integration; co-operation; promotion.