EOSC-ES-Prep

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The EOSC-ES-Prep project, “Preparatory Work for the Spanish National EOSC Node,” is a 6-month initiative with a primary objective: to deliver theProject Charter required for the Spanish National EOSC Node (EOSC-ES) to formalize its future application to the EOSC Federation. Strategically, theproject aligns with Spain’s key national policies, including the Spanish National Strategy for Open Science (ENCA 2023–2027) and the X National Plan for Research Technology and Innovation (PEICTI 2024–2027).

The project’s value lies in creating a nationally coordinated, multi-domain entry point that leverages Spain’s mature research ecosystem and e-infrastructures, such as the Red Española de Supercomputación and RedIRIS. The work is structured around three operational objectives: Ecosystem Alignment, Governance Definition, and Service Portfolio & Federation Preparation. These objectives are validated through three archetypical use cases, including the integration of data spaces and a domain specific cross-disciplinary scenario.

The project implementation features three Work Streams—Charter & Governance, Use Case Preparation, and Community Engagement & Training—, led by IACS and UPV. Key deliverables are the Project Plan (D1), the Project Charter (D2), a Use Case Report (D4), and the EOSC Academy Training Matrix (D5). Sustainability is a core focus, grounded in inclusive governance and strategic alignment with national funding.

Excellence

The primary objective of EOSC-ES-Prep is to deliver the Project Charter required for a future application of the Spanish National EOSC Node (EOSC-ES) to the EOSC Federation. EOSC-ES is a strategic instrument for implementing Spain’s National Strategy for Open Science (ENCA 2023–2027) and the State Plan for Scientific, Technical and Innovation Research (PEICTI 2024–2027), both of which explicitly prioritise integration into EOSC. Together, these frameworks demonstrate Spain’s commitment to robust, interoperable, publicly governed digital infrastructures supporting FAIR digital objects, open access, research assessment reform, and international federation.

EOSC-ES-Prep translates these policy commitments into an operational, governance-ready national Node, fully aligned with the EOSC Federation Handbook and the Memorandum of Understanding for operational integration.

The project has three operational objectives.

Ecosystem alignment with national and European policy. Map Spanish e-infrastructures, Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructures (ICTS), data spaces, repositories, and Open Science services against EOSC Federation requirements, establishing a readiness baseline for enrolment and onboarding while aligning with ENCA priorities on digital infrastructures and FAIR data.

Governance definition and institutional coordination. Design a sustainable governance model that reflects Spain’s distributed research ecosystem. EOSC-ES will function as a “federation within the Federation,” enabling coordinated participation of service providers, universities, research organisations, and national authorities, ensuring policy coherence and long-term sustainability.

Service portfolio and federation integration preparation. Define an initial EOSC-ES service portfolio, specify interaction mechanisms with other EOSC Nodes and the EOSC Academy, develop a multi-node scientific use case, identify Federating Capabilities to be deployed, and establish a framework for monitoring open science research practices across datasets, software, publications, and patents, aligned with research assessment reform.

Impact

This initiative strategically positions Spain as a critical anchor in the EOSC Federation, building on a mature research ecosystem, extensive infrastructure, and proven European engagement. Spain’s contribution is already substantial: participation in over 25 INFRAEOSC projects (including coordinator roles in EOSC4Cancer, AI4EOSC, EOSC TITAN, and EOSC SIESTA), operation of two AI Factories, and leadership in EuroHPC supercomputing initiatives.

The Spanish research landscape spans life sciences, health, environmental sciences, physics, engineering, social sciences, and AI, supported by world-class infrastructures and national e-infrastructure networks. These capabilities are already deeply embedded in EOSC through concrete deliverables including EOSC-aligned services, governance frameworks, cross-domain use cases, and technical contributions such as the Application Management Layer for the EOSC-EU Node.

Central to this ecosystem is the Red Española de Supercomputación (RES), Spain’s national distributed supercomputing network. A recognised Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructure coordinated by BSC-CNS, RES federates 14 nodes across 16 supercomputers, data centres, and advanced AI and quantum resources. Operating as Spain’s National Competence Centre through EuroCC2, RES implements Spain’s EuroHPC commitments and provides production-grade HPC and AI resources essential for data-intensive research.

This proposal consolidates Spain’s extensive but fragmented EOSC engagement into a coherent national Node structure. By establishing governance, technical infrastructure, and community engagement mechanisms for EOSC Node enrolment, Spain will operate as a stable, scalable, and interoperable federation entry point, addressing critical EOSC objectives around FAIR-by-design principles, federated service access, cross-node interoperability, and trusted environments for AI-driven research. The timing is deliberate: positioning a major EU Member State to anchor the EOSC Federation at the crucial moment of its transition from development to operational production.

Sustainability

The EOSC-ES Node’s sustainability strategy rests on three interconnected pillars: financial stability, scalable governance, and strategic policy integration.

Financial sustainability is anchored in proactive funding diversification and resource optimisation. The Node operates on a federated model built on transparent in-kind commitments and cost-sharing among participating organisations. By consolidating core governance and interoperability components, it eliminates duplication and achieves economies of scale. Continuous monitoring of funding opportunities and structured engagement with national agencies, particularly Agencia Española de Investigación (AEI) and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), ensures long-term financial security. Value is demonstrated through tangible service delivery across health, marine sciences, astronomy, and other domains, creating incentives for sustained institutional participation.

Scalable governance ensures adaptability and inclusivity. Starting with the 23 co-applicant institutions, the framework enables progressive integration of new organisations, disciplines, and service providers through clear participation rules aligned with EOSC Federation standards. Developed in partnership with funding agencies, the governance design accommodates communities at varying maturity levels and supports both horizontal domain expansion and vertical service scaling, while maintaining coherence throughout.

Strategic policy alignment positions the Node within broader European frameworks. Through coordinated dialogue with funding agencies, the Node pursues national support for European partnership instruments and co-funding mechanisms. Pilot initiatives will test integrated national-European resource mobilisation models, while structured discussions involving EOSC Tripartite representatives, National Contact Points, and Work Programme experts ensure policy coherence and long-term commitment alignment.

Together, these three pillars create a self-reinforcing sustainability model. Operational lessons will be systematically captured and transformed into actionable recommendations, establishing EOSC-ES as a reference model for economically viable, community-driven participation in the EOSC Federation well beyond the project lifecycle.