Shaping the EOSC Federation: Building Nodes for Open Science

The ESFRI-EOSC Task Force organized a Policy Workshop titled "Prototyping the EOSC Federation: Nodes and Linkages" on 18-19 November 2024 at the University of Milan. The workshop focused on shaping the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) Federation, a model in which all components follow shared rules and are technically interconnected. The discussions brought together research infrastructures, including those featured in the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) Roadmap, that were interested in contributing as potential thematic nodes to help construct a prototype.

Thematic Nodes play a crucial role by enhancing access to and use of digital resources, facilitating research reproducibility and fostering cooperation, supporting research integrity and data sovereignty and in increasing investment potential and addressing inequalities.

Nodes are envisioned as collaborative entities formed by universities, research institutes, and stakeholders within a common geographical or thematic scope. As scientific services evolve into AI-driven solutions, robust policies and agreements must ensure trust, equity, and inclusivity, enabling seamless access to data services and advanced computational needs for all researchers.

The speakers addressed critical questions such as:
•    Could Research Infrastructures scale their services to broader communities?
•    What capacities could they contribute to EOSC?

Among the participants, Czech experts shared valuable insights, including Jan Hrušák (J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry CAS), Luděk Matyska (Masaryk University), and Petr Holub (BBMRI-ERIC).

„Research infrastructures and their thematic clusters are natural candidates for EOSC nodes. Research Infrastructures are able, by integrating knowledge and practices of the various communities, sizably increasing the value, relevance, and acceptance of EOSC services,“ pointed out Jan Hrušák from the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry.

This workshop marked an important step in EOSC’s mission to bridge gaps and reduce inequalities in European research, ensuring that Open Science delivered its full potential in Europe and beyond.