The EOSC Association’s 9th General Assembly (GA) on 22 November 2024 brought together more than 220 online participants, including delegates and guests. The meeting served to lay the foundation for a pivotal year ahead in which the EOSC Federation will advance toward operations and the future governance of EOSC will start emerging.
To gear up for this transformative period, Member delegates displayed a high degree of consensus in making forward-looking decisions, including approving an ambitious 2025 work plan and its corresponding budget, admitting new Members and Observers, adopting an updated Multi-Annual Roadmap for 2026-2027, and, critically, electing four delegates to the Association’s Board of Directors.
“I am inspired by the dedication of our Members, who have once again demonstrated that collaboration and a shared vision are essential to achieving meaningful progress,” said EOSC-A President Karel Luyben when evaluating the outcomes of the meeting.
Celebrating the Association’s achievements for 2024
2024 has been a transformative year for the Association, marked by significant progress. As highlighted by EOSC-A President Karel Luyben and Secretary General Ute Gunsenheimer, a major achievement was the Association’s pivotal role in driving the build-up phase of the EOSC Federation within the context of the Tripartite Governance.
The rollout of the first Candidate EOSC Nodes next year will pioneer collaboration within the EOSC Federation and contribute critical input to the EOSC Federation Handbook, which is being prepared by a team of experts with a wide range of competences.
In an extraordinary achievement, the Association secured more than €500 million in in-kind contributions from Members in just two years, surpassing the target set in the Memorandum of Understanding ahead of the 2030 deadline.
The Association prioritised deepening Member relations, hosting 26 meetings across five online fora in 2024. The community also grew stronger with the establishment of four new EOSC-A Task Forces and seven EOSC Opportunity Area Expert Groups, engaging nearly 400 expert volunteers working to develop key areas in the implementation of EOSC.
Additionally, the successful delivery of SRIA 1.3, including the Multi-Annual Roadmap (MAR) 2026-2027, which was adopted at the GA, sets clear priorities for the coming years.
Finally, the 2024 EOSC Symposium in Berlin, organised for the first time by EOSC-A with EOSC Focus support, saw record participation of 450 on-site and 900 online attendees, reflecting the growing EOSC community.
Ready for 2025
The energy and enthusiasm of participants to roll up their sleeves and implement the ambitious 2025 work plan adopted at the General Assembly position the Association for success. The addition of five new Members and four new Observers, alongside the election of four Directors who will assume their roles in January 2025, will further strengthen the capacity of EOSC-A to achieve its ambitious goals set for next year.
Supporting all the activities in the plan, EOSC-A is implementing engagement strategy for the build-up of the EOSC Federation. This initiative is designed to reinforce the continued engagement of organisations interested in becoming EOSC Nodes, the EOSC-A Task Forces, the Opportunity Area Expert Groups, INFRAEOSC projects, the EOSC-A membership fora, and the community at large through frequent communication and engagement actions concerning the development of EOSC.
The tangible results presented during the General Assembly demonstrate that EOSC-A has evolved into a dynamic, well-structured, and responsive entity, fully representing the diverse research and innovation community across Europe. Concluding the meeting, EOSC-A Secretary General Ute Gunsenheimer presented a proposal developed by EOSC-A, recommending that the Association collaboratively leads the EOSC Federation, guided by the trusted oversight of the Tripartite Governance. “The success of the EOSC Federation will depend on the buy-in and uptake of the community,” emphasised Gunsenheimer.
