On March 25, 2025, the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) Tripartite Governance joined in Krakow to define key developments for advancing research data and digital resource sharing across Europe
The meeting focused on the next steps for establishing a sustainable and collaborative model for EOSC, focusing on its long-term future beyond 2027.
One of the main topics of conversation was the creation of the EOSC Federation, aimed at connecting European research infrastructures, national initiatives, and scientific service providers to create a more integrated and collaborative research ecosystem.
An important part of the discussion was reviewing the EOSC Federation’s initial build-up phase, emphasising progress towards a fully operational system.
The representatives at the meeting emphasised the importance of EOSC in the wider context of the EU’s single market and its potential to contribute to a “fifth freedom” for research and innovation. EOSC can play a transformative role in boosting Europe’s research and innovation capacity and enhancing its global competitiveness by facilitating the sharing of research data and digital resources.
Building the EOSC federation
Before the Krakow meeting, a significant workshop took place in Brussels on March 17-18, where 75 representatives from Europe’s leading research infrastructures, national initiatives, and the EOSC EU Node consortia gathered to kick off the build-up phase of the EOSC Federation.
The workshop was an important milestone in developing EOSC as a pan-European system, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders and organisations committed to shaping the future of European research collaboration.
The workshop showed several promising use cases for the EOSC Federation, which will serve as key drivers for the system’s development. These use cases aim to provide real benefits to participating organisations, ensuring that the EOSC Federation is a valuable tool for research and a critical resource that supports innovation and scientific discovery across Europe. Following the workshop, the participating organisations are set to revise their planned activities and initiate priority actions, with the first progress checkpoint scheduled for June 2025.
Launching the c handbook
A significant milestone for the EOSC Federation’s development is finalising the EOSC Federation Handbook. Set to be published soon, this guide will be an important resource for organisations interested in joining the Federation.
It provides practical information on the key components of the EOSC Federation, including its architecture, governance, operations, and policies. With over 40 volunteers from the community contributing to its creation, the handbook provides a complete, representative resource for organisations looking to become part of the EOSC Federation.
EOSC’s role in European research and innovation
The EOSC Steering Board, consisting of experts from EU Member States and countries associated with the Horizon Europe programme, reinforced the significance of EOSC in fostering Europe’s research, innovation, and economic growth.
In its recent opinion paper, the Steering Board emphasised that EOSC is a critical pillar in advancing a “fifth freedom” for research and innovation within the EU’s Single Market. The paper recommends EOSC’s future role, underlining its importance in driving innovation, technological leadership, and competitiveness across the continent.
A key part of the governance meeting was the discussion of a strengthened policy narrative for EOSC. This narrative is designed to help policymakers and stakeholders better understand and contextualise the role of EOSC within broader European and national agendas.
It emphasises EOSC’s contribution to key priorities such as enhancing innovation capacity, research productivity, digital and data sovereignty, and research security. EOSC is positioned as a driving force for breakthrough innovations and a critical enabler of the European Open Science movement by fostering a collaborative and secure research environment.
