The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) has been granted special status as a co-programmed European Partnership. This new European Partnership status will fortify EOSC with European funding of almost €500 million and an in-kind contribution of the partners of also €500 million. The aim is to improve the storing, sharing and especially the combining and reusing of research data across borders and scientific disciplines.
The Partnership brings together institutional, national and European initiatives and engages all relevant stakeholders to co-design and deploy a European Research Data Commons where data are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR).
This European contribution to a “Web of FAIR Data and Related Services for Science” will enhance the possibilities for researchers to find, share and reuse publications, data, and software leading to new insights and innovations, higher research productivity and improved reproducibility in science.
The Partnership represents a new Governance for EOSC as the first implementation phase of the EOSC begins. The partnership is made up, on the one hand of the European Commission and on the other hand the newly formed EOSC Association. The Partnership Board invites representatives of the Member States and Associated Countries organized in the commission's Expert Group “EOSC Steering Board”.
The European Open Science Cloud will enable researchers to find, create, share and reuse all forms of digital knowledge – such as publications, data and software - leading to new insights and innovations, higher research productivity and improved reproducibility in science. To successfully support the digital transformation of science, this important Partnership must involve all actors – the research communities, our Universities and research institutions, service providers as well as our Member States.
Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner of Innovation, Research, Culture, Education & Youth
The Partnership will pave the way for advancing EOSC as the research foundation of the industry-driven European Data Spaces that focus on various sectors relevant for society. EOSC will start federating and strengthening research disciplines and will foster interdisciplinary research. It will support research and e-Infrastructures to be more widely used and better connected. Overall, we are working on a cultural and technical transition of the way we do science in Europe and beyond. A more efficient and reproducible science trusted by society, more relevant to societal needs and with increased involvement of the society (e.g. through Citizen Science developments).
Karel Luyben, EOSC Association President