The European Open Science Cloud has been granted special status as a co-programmed European Partnership.
European Partnership status fortifies 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 and 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 EOSC begins. The Partnership includes the European Commission, the EOSC Steering Board and the EOSC Association. These three entities together comprise the Tripartite Collaboration, which serves to govern EOSC.
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