Open Science describes the current transition in how research is undertaken, how the outputs are stored and disseminated, how researchers collaborate, how success is measured and how researchers are rewarded for more transparent and collaborative approaches. Open Science has the potential to transform the research landscape. This potential has been successfully tested – if only that – during pandemic times. 

Open Science started as a vision, aiming to address matters like research reproducibility and access to the results of publicly-funded research. The vision was generally welcome by academic and research institutions and benefited from a great advocacy movement. It’s high time now to build on practice and effective management. 

It is generally accepted in Europe that research should be as open as possible and as close as necessary. Finding the borderline between the two is one of the most important tasks for practitioners, whether they belong to funders, research organisations, their partners or researchers themselves.
Yet, this borderline is not sufficiently explored. Guidelines based on feedback and learning from practice should be created, rather sooner than later.

This innovative approach to research has further potential: to address existing inequalities and matters like inclusivity, ethics, better assessment or the missing links between science and society or to re-shape public-private partnerships.