Federation and Collaboration
Nodes promote collaboration between research infrastructures, enabling scientists to share and access resources across disciplines and regions.
On Wednesday, 7 November 2024, the 6th European Tripartite Event focused on the governance and implementation of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) was held in Budapest. Hosted under the Hungarian EU Presidency by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NRDIO) and EOSC-A Mandated Organisation KIFÜ, this hybrid-format conference covered key topics such as the identification of potential EOSC nodes, the evaluation of the EOSC Federation’s status, and discussions on its governance beyond 2027. Preceding the conference, a closed EOSC Steering Board meeting took place on 6 November, followed by an official Tripartite meeting with representatives from the EOSC Steering Board, the European Commission, and the EOSC Association leadership on the morning of 7 November.
A central theme was the selection process for EOSC nodes and their role in enhancing the European open science ecosystem. Two primary node categories were outlined: national and thematic. National nodes are essential for integrating countries and ensuring access to data and services at the local level. Thematic nodes focus on specific scientific domains or research communities, aiming to foster collaboration across borders. A total of 11 candidates for these nodes were presented, with development beginning soon. This approach ensures diversity in services and datasets while testing the quality of the EOSC EU node. Further details about these categories can be found on the official EOSC Association website.
Professor Luděk Matyska, who attended the closed meetings, highlighted that discussions centred on building the EOSC Federation. The EOSC Steering Board reviewed survey findings on interest in node development and subsequent steps, which include identifying four national or regional nodes and seven thematic nodes. Strategies for engaging organisations not selected were also explored, ensuring continued integration into the EOSC infrastructure.
The conference itself focused on the EOSC EU node, the foundational element of the EOSC Federation. Participants were briefed on a survey regarding the state of EOSC implementation and the European Commission’s plans to expand monitoring to include impact assessments across member states.
The EOSC Federation and the monitoring of its implementation are crucial to advancing open science in Europe. The 6th European Tripartite Event highlighted concrete steps to strengthen collaboration among countries and institutions involved in EOSC's implementation.
EOSC nodes are key components of the EOSC Federation, connecting thematic or national infrastructures to the wider EOSC ecosystem. They act as gateways to data, services, and resources, with the following defining characteristics:
Nodes promote collaboration between research infrastructures, enabling scientists to share and access resources across disciplines and regions.
Each node operates autonomously within EOSC rules, addressing the specific needs of its research community. Federation governance ensures consistency and quality across nodes.
Nodes adhere to the EOSC Interoperability Framework, ensuring resources are accessible and usable throughout the federation.
Nodes provide tailored services and resources to their communities, including specialised data, publications, software, and tools.
EOSC facilitates the establishment of new nodes to meet the growing needs of research communities.
Node Categories:
These nodes connect national or regional infrastructures to EOSC, offering services aligned with local research community needs.
Focused on specific scientific disciplines or domains, these nodes provide services, data, and tools tailored to specialised research areas.
For detailed insights into the node selection process and their roles, refer to the EOSC official documentation.
The EOSC CZ National Conference, titled “From Repositories to Repositories”, attracted over 200 participants – 113 onsite and nearly 100 online. The strong interest in the event confirmed the growing importance of research data management, open science, and the development of national and international data infrastructures.
On Thursday 14 November, the second edition of the Slovak Open Science Forum took place in Bratislava, focusing on open access, research data management, evaluation of scientific activities and citizen science. Among others, Matej Antol, the principal manager of the IPs EOSC-CZ, presented the EOSC CZ initiative and its contribution to Czech research and its link with European science.