ANTWERP — On 26 May 2025, members of the EOSC Focus and EOSC Gravity project consortia met in Antwerp for a dedicated handover meeting ahead of the launch of EOSC Gravity in June.
The meeting was an opportunity to celebrate the key achievements of EOSC Focus and to explore how EOSC Gravity will build on this success, facilitating the transition of the European co-programmed Partnership for EOSC into its new governance and funding model.
Bringing together 44 participants from 14 organisations across Europe, the full-day meeting held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Antwerp was characterised by a collaborative atmosphere. With enthusiasm for the journey ahead, the participants agreed on practical steps to facilitate a smooth transition between the projects and enable the staff working on EOSC Gravity to hit the ground running.
The meeting began with a welcome from Karel Luyben, President of the EOSC Association, who together with Secretary General Ute Gunsenheimer, provided an update on the EOSC Association, the EOSC Federation and related developments. President Luyben emphasised the importance of building EOSC. “EOSC is more than a project. It is something that needs continued coordinated work. We must look beyond what we will deliver this year, next year or in three years, and look more towards 20 to 30 years ahead.”
Next followed collaborative sessions led by Work Package leaders from both projects, who teamed up to present key outcomes of EOSC Focus and plan for the critical steps under EOSC Gravity.
Looking back at EOSC Focus
As EOSC Focus approached the end of its three-year journey in May, participants reflected on the impact of its key achievements. With a budget of €4.66 million and a mission to make Open Science the “new normal”, EOSC Focus supported the co-programmed Partnership by improving coordination, streamlining internal processes, and deepening community engagement, all of which will aid the development of the EOSC Federation.
Among key highlights was the creation of collaboration frameworks, such as the Opportunity Area Expert Groups (OAEGs), Horizon Europe topical groups, and launching of the annual EOSC Winter Schools. The project also established a structured process to gather community input for the EOSC Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) and its three updates, including the Multi-Annual Roadmap 2026–2027.
To advance internal processes, EOSC Focus developed a Data Management System platform for to streamline data collection relative to EOSC-A Members’ contributions, introduced co-branding guidelines widely adopted by INFRAEOSC projects, and launched the EOSC Macro-Roadmap, an online catalogue with over 170 outcomes of EOSC-related activities from projects, EOSC-A Task Forces, and EOSC-A Members.
The meeting also showcased the Sustainable Exploitation Planning (SEP) methodology developed by EOSC Focus to guide INFRAEOSC projects in utilising their Key Exploitable Results, facilitating the integration of research outputs into long-term EOSC operations and framework.
EOSC Focus further supported the ecosystem by mapping national investments, facilitating Additional Activities Surveys to track in-kind contributions, and boosting engagement through National Tripartite Events and interviews with Mandated Organisations. It also helped clarify sustainable funding models, formalised ties with the Data Space Support Center, and played a key role in facilitating the community-wide drafting process of the EOSC Federation Handbook. Among key results are also two Open Science guides for Research Performing Organisations designed to help them implement relevant strategies and FAIR training frameworks.
These outcomes will remain in use and provide a strong foundation for the work ahead under EOSC Gravity, ensuring the momentum continues as the community moves through the build-up phase of the EOSC Federation.
What EOSC Gravity will take forward
With a 31-month timeline and an experienced consortium coordinated by EOSC-A, EOSC Gravity aims to support the EOSC Partnership’s transition to a new governance and funding model beyond 2027.
Gravity will continue to develop the EOSC Federation by defining a sustainable funding model, enable an effective pan-European cooperation and national engagement through cascading geo-grants, and maintain key community initiatives such as the EOSC Winter School. The project will also support EOSC-A Task Forces, strengthen alignment across INFRAEOSC projects, and facilitate the Association’s communication and stakeholder engagement activities.
During the handover meeting, Task leads from both projects reviewed where responsibilities shift or overlap and agreed on practical steps to ensure continuity and consistency going forward. These include, among others, updates to the SRIA, future editions of the EOSC Federation Handbook, and planning for the EOSC Symposium in 2025 and 2026.
Wrapping up the meeting, EOSC Association Secretary General and EOSC Gravity Coordinator Ute Gunsenheimer said, “With the foundations laid out by the achievements in EOSC Focus along with the launch of EOSC Gravity, the EOSC Association is well placed to deliver its commitments to the EOSC Partnership. EOSC Gravity has been designed in a way that is fully aligned with the priorities of EOSC for the next few years and this handover meeting has ensured a seamless continuation of the work.”
The meeting concluded with a shared sense of commitment. With priorities clearly defined and smooth transition underway, a solid foundation has been established for the work ahead. As EOSC Gravity takes over, the legacy of EOSC Focus will continue to fuel key developments in the co-programmed Partnership for EOSC.
