ANTWERP — More than 230 representatives of the EOSC-A community gathered during a dedicated session at the 10th General Assembly in Antwerp on 27 May 2025 to pay tribute to the outgoing President Karel Luyben, whose visionary leadership has been instrumental in shaping the trajectory of EOSC in the past six and a half years.
The ceremony opened with remarks from EOSC-A Vice-President Marialuisa Lavitrano, who described the occasion as “a deeply emotional moment”. When Karel Luyben was elected President in 2021, “the vision of EOSC was clear, but the path ahead was complex,” she emphasised.
In President Luyben, the community was provided a steadfast leader who possessed the exceptional ability to inspire a diverse group. Under his firm and constructive guidance, EOSC evolved from an ambitious idea to a “structured, collaborative, and operational ecosystem,” Lavitrano remarked. This gave rise to EOSC-A as the legitimate voice of the community and a trusted partner of the European Commission in the co-programmed Partnership for EOSC. Exceeding its commitments, the Association is now successfully leading the build-up of the EOSC Federation, with wide-ranging support to remain in the leading role beyond 2027.
In recognition of his faithful and long-standing service, Lavitrano conferred upon Karel Luyben the title of President Emeritus of the EOSC Association. “The title is a reflection of the respect you have earned, and a way to ensure that your legacy continues to guide us,” Lavitrano said when presenting Karel Luyben with a commemorative certificate. “You leave your role as President, but you will always remain a part of this community, its heart, and its history.”
As the GA participants erupted in heartfelt applause, president-elect Klaus Tochtermann took the stage to thank Karel Luyben for his “leadership, time, and heart”. Highlighting both his extensive contributions and distinctive personal traits, he described President Luyben as “a man who has shaped the data landscape in Europe like no other. A man who is brave enough to face governance diagrams, metadata structures, and epic Zoom marathons with a smile.”
In a show of deep appreciation, the EOSC-A community honoured President Karel Luyben with standing ovations.
“Without you, EOSC might have remained just another nice idea,” Tochtermann concluded. “With you, it became a real European community-driven infrastructure.“
The warm words spoken at the ceremony consistently pointed to President Luyben’s unique leadership style, which combines intellectual clarity, strategic foresight, infinite patience, and genuine love of the community.
From student data to a European movement
Karel Luyben’s interest in the challenges of research data management began at the Delft University of Technology, where he observed, over several decades of teaching, that only 2% of data from PhD research could be reused by the next cohorts. This sparked his long-standing commitment to improving data management and reuse. He got more involved in the topic when he chaired the Supervisory Board of the Dutch Techcentre for Life Sciences, which organised a critical workshop in 2014, where the FAIR principles were first initiated and then published in Nature in 2016.
In 2014, the term EOSC was coined by the European Commission. Karel Luyben has been closely involved with EOSC since 2017, when Jean-Claude Burgelman from the European Commission invited him along with Klaus Tochtermann and Bob Jones (current Special Envoy for the EOSC Federation) to Brussels to discuss with Commissioner Moedas the idea of a “cloud” for researchers (European Open Science Cloud).
In July 2020, the EOSC Association was established with four founding members – GÉANT, CESAER, CSIC, and GARR. At the first General Assembly in December 2020, Karel Luyben was elected President. The following year, the first employee was hired and on behalf of the EOSC Association President Luyben signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding with the European Commission, formalising a joint commitment of €1 billion to support the EOSC Partnership to improve the storing, sharing and especially the combining and reusing of research data across borders and scientific disciplines.
During his time with EOSC-A, Karel Luyben oversaw its growth to more than 250 Members and Observers and will leave behind a flourishing organisation at the forefront of launching the EOSC Federation, with its first services set to be onboarded this year. The EOSC Federation will offer researchers, including PhD students who initially drew President Luyben’s attention to data reuse, access to data and services to support their work.
A colourful farewell gift from the EOSC-A community
Karel Luyben will step down from his role as EOSC-A president on 30 June 2025 to enjoy his retirement. By that time he will have served two years as chair of the Executive Board of EOSC and four and a half years as president of the EOSC Association. In his farewell remarks, he warmheartedly thanked numerous colleagues who supported him throughout the journey.
As a final tribute, artist Nicky Myny unveiled a collaborative portrait of President Luyben. Created during coffee breaks by General Assembly participants, the artwork is a symbol of the inclusive and innovative spirit that defines the EOSC-A community.
The ceremony concluded with a standing ovation and a champagne toast to mark the end of a defining era marked by President Luyben’s strong legacy and remarkable leadership. When participants made their way to the networking dinner that followed, Tochtermann’s words lingered in the minds of many: “Karel showed us that Open Science is not just a buzzword. It is a lifestyle.”
Photos from the ceremony
