Open Science is a movement that has been gaining prominence during the 21st century and has several advantages for society. Find out more about this concept and its relevance here.
Better science, better able to face global challenges and more trusted by society. This is the goal envisioned by the concept of Open Science, a set of principles which, as the name suggests, aims to guarantee the openness of research results, facilitating access to them.
According to the European Commission, "Open Science aims to transform science through digital tools and networks, making research more open, global, collaborative, creative and close to society".
The international commitment to Open Science
Given the importance of these objectives, the principles of Open Science have been seen as a priority in the design of European policies in the areas of Science and Knowledge.
A clear example of this commitment can be found in the model contract for funding implemented by the European Commission in the Horizon Europe program, which establishes the basic conditions for guaranteeing European funding until 2027 for research and investigation. The document embodies the political relevance of this issue, establishing the principles of Open Science as "the modus operandi" of this process.
Another example of this commitment came in 2021, when the European Commission and the EOSC Association (European Open Science Cloud) established a partnership with a view to implementing this common research data platform, which aims to aggregate searchable, accessible, interoperable and reusable information.
The then European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Marya Gabriel, considered that this solution allows researchers to "find, create, share and reuse forms of digital knowledge", which will lead to "new clues and innovations", as well as "greater productivity and reproducibility".
However, more than just a European effort, there have been initiatives to promote Open Science all over the world. Among the various examples, UNESCO has developed an international standardization document on Open Science, which proposes a set of actions leading to a fair and equitable operationalization of Open Science.
Last month, in commemoration of the World Science Day for Peace and Development, the director-general of Unesco, Audrey Azoulay, also argued that "a more open, better funded and more equitable science is the science the world urgently needs", a statement that reinforces the relevance of this theme.
Portugal as a driver of Open Science
In Portugal, the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), through its Open Science Unit, has been working to promote and implement the principles of Open Science. FCCNhas been working to promote and implement the principles of Open Science, and is the organization mandated to represent Portugal's interests within the EOSC association. Find out more about the unit's initiatives FCCN in the area of Open Science: https://www.fccn.pt/ciencia-aberta/
