Table 4.

An overview of merits related to pairwise collaboration in the context of Trusted Research Environments (TREs)

TRE merit	Rationale
Enhanced expertise	Pairwise collaboration allows researchers from different institutions or organisations to bring together their diverse expertise and knowledge. This can lead to a more comprehensive understanding of complex healthcare issues and foster innovative approaches to research.
Increased data sharing	TREs aim to create secure environments for data sharing and analysis. Pairwise collaboration encourages researchers to share their data within these trusted environments, facilitating access to larger and more diverse datasets. This can lead to more robust and reliable research findings, as well as the potential for new discoveries.
Reduced redundancy	Collaboration between research teams can help prevent duplication of efforts. By sharing research goals, methodologies and preliminary findings, researchers can identify areas where their work overlaps and streamline their efforts. This can save time, resources and funding, allowing for more efficient progress in healthcare research.
Accelerated innovation	Collaborative research efforts often lead to accelerated innovation. Pairwise collaboration enables researchers to pool their resources, technologies and intellectual capital, creating synergistic effects. This collaborative environment can promote the development of new treatments, therapies and technologies that can have a positive impact on healthcare outcomes.
Improved data privacy and governance	TREs prioritise data privacy and governance, providing secure environments for data access and analysis. Pairwise collaboration within these environments ensures that researchers adhere to strict data protection protocols, maintaining patient confidentiality and upholding ethical standards. This helps build trust among researchers, institutions and the public, fostering a robust research ecosystem.
Access to specialised resources	Collaboration can provide researchers with access to specialised resources that may not be available at their own institutions. By partnering with other researchers, they can tap into unique datasets, equipment, facilities or expertise, enabling them to conduct more comprehensive and advanced research studies.
Cross-pollination of ideas	Pairwise collaboration facilitates the exchange of ideas, perspectives and methodologies. Researchers from different disciplines or institutions can bring fresh insights and alternative approaches to problem-solving. This cross-pollination of ideas can spark creativity and foster interdisciplinary research, leading to novel discoveries and advancements in healthcare.