🔴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 (EC) flagship initiative to create a federated, open, and seamless digital ecosystem for managing and sharing research data and services across Europe. It provides a trusted environment where researchers, innovators, companies, and citizens can access, manage, and reuse research data, tools, and services. By fostering Open Science, EOSC accelerates innovation, enhances transparency, and improves the reproducibility of research outcomes. For researchers who receive EU funding, EOSC is both a valuable resource and a critical platform for fulfilling Open Science obligations, as it supports sharing data and scholarly outputs in compliance with European policies.

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 their datasets, publications, and software openly, increasing the visibility and impact of their work and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration. EOSC connects existing research infrastructures, repositories, and tools across Europe, providing seamless access to various resources.

The platform offers integrated services to support the entire research lifecycle. Researchers can use EOSC to develop Data Management Plans (DMPs), store and process large datasets, and publish their outputs in FAIR-compliant repositories. EOSC provides access to high-performance computing (HPC) and analytical tools, enabling data-intensive research. By facilitating collaboration and allowing access to data from multiple scientific disciplines, EOSC fosters interdisciplinary research and innovation.

EOSC is particularly essential for EU-funded projects. The platform ensures compliance with Open Science policies under programs like Horizon Europe, which mandate the open sharing of data and research outputs. EOSC provides researchers the infrastructure and tools to effectively manage and preserve their data. By contributing to EOSC, researchers meet funding requirements and help build a more transparent and collaborative scientific community.

EOSC aims to promote Open Science, ensuring that scientific data is openly available to foster collaboration, accelerate innovation, and enhance research transparency and reproducibility. It adheres to the FAIR principles of finding, accessing, interoperating, and reusing data to maximize the value of research outputs.

Key Objectives of EOSC:

1. Data Sharing and Reuse: EOSC seeks to create a culture where researchers make their data available and reusable across disciplines, enhancing transparency and collaboration.

2. Federated Infrastructure: By integrating existing data infrastructures, repositories, and services from various European countries, EOSC provides a unified platform for researchers.

3. Interoperability and Standards: EOSC advocates adopting common standards to ensure compatibility and seamless interoperability across diverse scientific domains.

4. Open Science Culture: EOSC supports the transition to Open Science by promoting open access to research data, publications, and collaborative tools.

The History and Development of EOSC

1. Origins and Concept (2015-2016)

The European Commission's 2015 Communication on the European Digital Single Market introduced the European Open Science Cloud concept. The idea was further developed in the EC's 2016 report, European Cloud Initiative.

Key Objectives at Inception:

1. Provide European researchers with a unified data storage, sharing, and analysis platform.

2. Address the fragmentation of existing research infrastructures and data repositories.

3. Support the EU's broader Digital Single Market Strategy.

2. Initial Development and Stakeholder Engagement (2016-2017)

In 2016, the European Commission launched the first consultations and working groups to define the scope and structure of EOSC. This phase included:

1. Stakeholder Engagement: Engaging with researchers, institutions, and data service providers to identify key needs and challenges.

2. Policy Foundations: Emphasizing the importance of Open Science and FAIR data principles.

The EOSC High-Level Expert Group (HLEG) was established to provide strategic guidance, culminating in the 2016 report Realizing the European Open Science Cloud, which laid out a vision for EOSC.

3. Launch of EOSC and Initial Implementation (2018)

The official launch of EOSC took place in November 2018 during the Austrian EU Presidency. This marked the beginning of its implementation phase, with a focus on:

1. Developing a governance framework.

2. Building the technical infrastructure to connect national and European research data infrastructures.

The launch was accompanied by the EOSC Declaration, signed by key stakeholders to signal their commitment to its principles and goals.

4. Early Operational Phase (2019-2020)

Following the launch, the EC and its partners worked to establish the foundational components of EOSC:

EOSC Governance Framework: A tripartite structure was set up, including:

EOSC Governance Board: Representing EU member states and associated countries.

EOSC Executive Board: Comprising stakeholders responsible for driving implementation.

EOSC Stakeholder Forum: Providing input and feedback from the research community.

Initial Projects:

Several EU-funded projects (e.g., EOSCpilot, EOSC-hub, FREYA) were launched to build technical components and test the feasibility of EOSC services.

5. Transition and Expansion (2021-Present)

In 2021, EOSC entered its expansion phase to scale up and integrate more research infrastructures, data services, and users.

EOSC Association: Established in 2020, the EOSC Association became the primary entity responsible for coordinating EOSC’s development and implementation. It represents stakeholders from research institutions, data service providers, and national infrastructures.

Horizon Europe Funding: Under the EU’s Horizon Europe framework (2021-2027), significant funding was allocated to EOSC to support its growth and integration across disciplines.

EOSC Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA): In 2021, the SRIA outlines the key priorities and actions for developing EOSC, including enhancing interoperability, improving data stewardship, and expanding user adoption.

Key Milestones in EOSC Development

1. 2015: EOSC was introduced in the European Digital Single Market strategy.

2. 2016: High-Level Expert Group publishes realizing the European Open Science Cloud.

3. 2018: Official launch of EOSC during Austria’s EU Presidency.

4. 2019: The governance structure was established, and the first EOSC services and projects were rolled out.

5. 2020: Formation of the EOSC Association to lead the next phase.

6. 2021: Launch of EOSC’s Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) under Horizon Europe.

7. 2023-Present: Ongoing expansion, with increasing focus on sustainability, interoperability, and user adoption.

Future Goals of EOSC

Looking ahead, EOSC aims to:

Achieve Full Integration by Connecting all major European research infrastructures, ensuring seamless access to data and services across disciplines and countries.

Support Research Communities: Provide tools and platforms tailored to the needs of diverse research domains.

Promote Open Science Globally: Position Europe as a leader in Open Science and advocate for global data-sharing initiatives.

Sustainability: Develop long-term funding and operational models to ensure the viability of EOSC beyond initial EU funding.

The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) is a transformative initiative supporting open sharing and efficient management of research data across Europe. It empowers researchers to collaborate across disciplines, enhances the impact of their work, and ensures long-term accessibility and usability of research outputs. For EU-funded researchers, EOSC is an invaluable tool for complying with Open Science mandates and contributing to the global scientific knowledge base.