🟤European Open Science Cloud
What is the EOSC and What it means to researchers?
What is the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC)?
The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) is the European Commission’s flagship initiative to build a federated, open, and trusted digital ecosystem for managing and sharing research data and services across Europe. Designed to support researchers, innovators, companies, and citizens, EOSC offers a seamless environment for accessing, managing, and reusing research data, tools, and services.
By fostering Open Science practices, EOSC aims to accelerate innovation, enhance transparency, and improve the reproducibility of research outcomes. It is particularly vital for EU-funded research, serving as a valuable resource and a required platform to help researchers meet Open Science obligations under policies such as Horizon Europe.
At its core, EOSC is grounded in the FAIR principles—ensuring data is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. This approach maximizes the value of research outputs by making them discoverable and usable for future research. Researchers are encouraged to publish datasets, publications, and software openly, increasing their work's visibility, impact, and interdisciplinary reuse.
EOSC connects existing research infrastructures, repositories, and services across Europe into a unified, interoperable system, providing seamless access to a wide range of resources.
Features and Services
EOSC offers integrated services that support the entire research lifecycle, including:
Data Management Plans (DMPs): Tools to help researchers plan and document data handling in compliance with funder requirements.
Storage and Processing: Capabilities for storing and analyzing large datasets securely.
FAIR-Compliant Publishing: Services to publish datasets in repositories aligned with FAIR principles.
High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Analytical Tools: Enabling complex, data-intensive research.
Collaboration Tools: Facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration by providing access to data and services across scientific domains.
By integrating these services, EOSC promotes collaboration, interdisciplinary research, and innovation while ensuring compliance with European Open Science policies.
Importance of EU-Funded Projects
For researchers funded by the EU, EOSC is essential for:
Meeting Open Science requirements: Horizon Europe mandates open sharing of research outputs.
Ensuring data stewardship: EOSC offers infrastructure and guidance for effective data management and long-term preservation.
Supporting transparency and reproducibility: Open access to data strengthens scientific integrity.
Contributing to a collaborative European research environment: By sharing data through EOSC, researchers help build a more open and interoperable research ecosystem.
Key Objectives of EOSC
Data Sharing and Reuse: Cultivating a culture of making data openly available and reusable across disciplines to improve transparency and collaboration.
Federated Infrastructure: Integrating national and European data infrastructures, repositories, and services into a unified platform.
Interoperability and Standards: Promoting common standards ensures seamless compatibility across diverse scientific domains.
Open Science Culture: Supporting the transition to Open Science by encouraging open access to data, publications, and collaborative tools.
History and Development of EOSC
1. Origins and Concept (2015–2016)
Introduced in the European Digital Single Market Strategy (2015).
Defined in the 2016 European Cloud Initiative.
Initial goals included:
Providing European researchers with a unified data storage, sharing, and analysis platform.
Reducing fragmentation across existing infrastructures.
Supporting the broader Digital Single Market Strategy.
2. Initial Development and Stakeholder Engagement (2016–2017)
First, consultations and working groups were launched to shape EOSC.
Engagement with researchers, institutions, and service providers to identify needs.
Emphasis on Open Science and FAIR data principles.
Establishment of the High-Level Expert Group (HLEG), whose 2016 report, Realising the European Open Science Cloud, provided strategic guidance.
3. Official Launch and Initial Implementation (2018)
Officially launched in November 2018 under the Austrian EU Presidency.
Focus areas:
Establishing a governance framework.
Building technical infrastructure to connect national and European data services.
Accompanied by the EOSC Declaration, signaling stakeholder commitment.
4. Early Operational Phase (2019–2020)
Creation of the EOSC Governance Framework with:
Governance Board (EU member states and associated countries).
Executive Board (stakeholders leading implementation).
Stakeholder Forum (broader research community input).
Launch of pilot projects (e.g., EOSCpilot, EOSC-hub, FREYA) to test feasibility and build core services.
5. Transition and Expansion (2021–Present)
Scaling up and integrating more research infrastructures and users.
Establishment of the EOSC Association (2020) to coordinate development and represent stakeholders from research institutions and service providers.
Significant funding under Horizon Europe (2021–2027) to support growth and adoption.
Publication of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA, 2021) outlining priorities for interoperability, data stewardship, and user engagement.
Key Milestones
2015: EOSC was introduced in the European Digital Single Market strategy.
2016: High-Level Expert Group report sets out vision.
2018: Official launch under Austria’s EU Presidency.
2019: The governance framework and initial services were established.
2020: The EOSC Association formed to lead development.
2021: Launch of SRIA under Horizon Europe.
2023–present: Ongoing expansion focusing on sustainability, interoperability, and adoption.
Future Goals of EOSC
EOSC’s long-term vision includes:
Full Integration: Connecting all major European research infrastructures for seamless access to data and services across countries and disciplines.
Supporting Research Communities: Providing tailored tools and platforms for diverse research domains.
Promoting Global Open Science: Positioning Europe as a leader in Open Science and advancing global data-sharing efforts.
Sustainability: Developing robust funding and operational models to ensure EOSC’s long-term viability beyond initial EU support.
The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) is a transformative initiative that supports the open, efficient, and FAIR-compliant sharing of research data across Europe. By empowering researchers to collaborate across disciplines and improving the visibility, accessibility, and reuse of research outputs, EOSC enhances European science's impact, transparency, and integrity. For EU-funded projects, it is an essential platform for meeting Open Science mandates and contributing to a more open and collaborative global research community.
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