Realising the European Open Science Cloud

The Commission ‘High Level Expert Group European Open Science Cloud‘ chaired by Barend Mons has published a first report, including recommendations on the European Open Science Cloud.

The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) aims to accelerate and support the current transition to more effective Open Science and Open Innovation in the Digital Single Market. It should enable trusted access to services, systems and the re-use of shared scientific data across disciplinary, social and geographical borders. The term cloud is understood by the High level Expert Group (HLEG) as a metaphor to help convey both seamlessness and the idea of a commons based on scientific data.

The report approaches the EOSC as a federated environment for scientific data sharing and re-use, based on existing and emerging elements in the Member States, with light-weight international guidance and governance and a large degree of freedom regarding practical implementation. The EOSC is indeed a European infrastructure, but it should be globally interoperable and accessible. It includes the required human expertise, resources, standards, best practices as well as the underpinning technical infrastructures. An important aspect of the EOSC is systematic and professional data management and long-term stewardship of scientific data assets and services in Europe and globally. However, data stewardship is not a goal in itself and the final realm of the EOSC is the frontier of science and innovation in Europe.

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