Czechia not only holds a strong representation within the governing structures of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), but thanks to an advanced national strategy and the extensive EOSC-CZ project, it is becoming a visible and active player on the European stage. According to Jan Hrušák from the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Czechia has the tools and experts needed to help shape the structure and functioning of the emerging EOSC federation.
Czechia not only formally supports the EOSC initiative but also actively contributes to its implementation through direct involvement in EOSC’s governance structures, the EOSC Association (EOSC-A), and its bodies, as well as through participation of the research community in specific projects. I represent Czechia in the EOSC Steering Board, where I also serve as Vice-Chair, and together with other Czech colleagues, I contribute to several working groups focused on shaping policy concepts and principles for EOSC’s future governance and funding. Another significant form of representation is our membership in the EOSC Association, which brings together major European scientific communities and other key stakeholders. Czechia is represented in EOSC-A through CESNET, Masaryk University (CERIT-SC), and VSB – Technical University of Ostrava (IT4Innovations), which together form the e-INFRA CZ consortium, as well as by the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the CAS. CESNET has been designated by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports as the national mandated organization for EOSC. We also have further representatives involved through memberships in EOSC-A and its working groups. Here too, Czech experts contribute to shaping technical standards and policies.
Czechia therefore has both the tools and the people capable of influencing the direction of EOSC, actively participating in the European conversation as an equal partner and co-creator of the rules of the game. In this context, it is a major advantage that we have a robust national EOSC strategy, a well-developed e-infrastructure (e-INFRA CZ), and a growing community dedicated to data stewardship and open science. The key role is played by the EOSC-CZ project, funded by the Programme Johannes Amos Comenius, with a budget of nearly CZK 445 million for the 2023–2028 period. The project aims to build a national infrastructure for the management, sharing, and long-term preservation of research data in line with FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). EOSC-CZ creates a vertically and horizontally integrated ecosystem, within which both cross-cutting and thematic groups are formed, focused on specific research disciplines and open to all researchers from Czech institutions. In the EOSC Coordination Board, we bring together all relevant stakeholders to build consensus on the design and development of a strong national EOSC node in Czechia, one that is ready for international integration. In this way, Czechia is not only contributing to the development of open science in Europe but is also visibly strengthening its competitiveness in the international research space and laying the groundwork for research excellence.
“Czechia therefore has both the tools and the people capable of influencing the direction of EOSC, actively participating in the European conversation as an equal partner and co-creator of the rules of the game.”
EOSC enables researchers across Europe to access large volumes of data and computing resources, making it a key tool for implementing open science and a paradigm shift in how research and innovation are approached. The crucial point is for EOSC to be seen as an integral part of the infrastructure supporting scientific work, and for data sharing to become a tool for enhancing the quality and efficiency of science, opening new avenues for exploration and supporting an innovation-driven economy. Some scientific communities and research infrastructures are directly connected to EOSC-CZ’s thematic working groups and are implementing FAIR principles in practice, creating a space for aligning needs and technical solutions across disciplines. The Czech research community thus gains access to open datasets and finds it easier to establish international collaborations. EOSC gives Czech scientists the opportunity to be part of a broader ecosystem and benefit from the best European tools, services, and standards.
However, the biggest challenge remains the culture of openness, coordination across institutions, and long-term sustainability of the system. Data sharing and open science are still not common practice in Czechia, and researchers are often concerned about intellectual property, data misuse, or the need to change established workflows. While the benefits of open access to scientific data are undeniable, awareness-raising and rational argumentation are essential. At the same time, it’s clear that EOSC simplifies the publication of data, methods, and research results, strengthens transparency and reproducibility of scientific studies, and even facilitates access to projects from other funders (e.g., Horizon Europe). Thanks to EOSC-CZ, domestic data services are being developed, and infrastructure for long-term data storage is being built, including tools for annotation and FAIR-aligned accessibility. EOSC-CZ also supports researchers in managing research data and is helping to move Czech research toward greater efficiency, transparency, and international competitiveness.
“The crucial point is for EOSC to be seen as an integral part of the infrastructure supporting scientific work, and for data sharing to become a tool for enhancing the quality and efficiency of science, opening new avenues for exploration and supporting an innovation-driven economy.”
At the national level, the Ministry of Education coordinates EOSC policy and its alignment with the European agenda. Czechia actively engages in the European debate and, in many respects, helps shape and co-create it as an equal partner. We have a well-developed national EOSC strategy, which we are implementing at the European level by removing potential barriers and creating synergies in policy-making, technical standards, data management, interoperability, and integration into research support. In this sense, the Czech approach—namely, the EOSC-CZ project emphasizing collaboration among all actors, including universities, research institutes, infrastructures, IT centers, and libraries—is not only fully compatible with EOSC’s goals in the EU but is also recognized as a strong national tool for building a supportive environment for the research community. The EOSC-CZ project, designed to co-create the Czech landscape, is seen as an example of best practice and serves as inspiration for several member states. This gives Czechia a strong position in discussions around EOSC implementation, including the evolving structure, governance, and financing of the EOSC federation. We are visible even at this level. It’s not just about science policy—many Czech experts are directly involved in developing technical solutions, either through participation in European EOSC projects (e.g., EOSC Future, EOSC Focus), or in building the first so-called EOSC EU node, where they bring the Czech perspective and reflect it in concrete rules—for data and metadata management, security, or access rights.
“The EOSC-CZ project, designed to co-create the Czech landscape, is seen as an example of best practice and serves as inspiration for several member states.”
Research infrastructures can, by engaging with EOSC platforms, work across disciplines and connect not just with institutions, but also broaden their user base. That’s why Czech research infrastructures are already among the active contributors to EOSC. They connect scientific communities across sectors and, by offering their services in the European catalogue, help shape standards. They also develop pilot projects, train users, and actively communicate their impact. Many services offered by Czech research infrastructures already meet general EOSC standards and FAIR principles and are technically interoperable with EOSC. These aren’t limited to CERIT-SC’s cloud services, IT4Innovations’ computing capacities, or institutional research data repositories—most infrastructures are thematically organized within EOSC-CZ, piloting projects that demonstrate EOSC’s practical value in specific research areas (e.g., biomedicine, climatology, AI), or developing thematic data platforms, virtual research environments (VREs), or community services for a broad spectrum of users beyond Czechia.
Connecting EOSC and ESFRI (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures) is crucial for the effective functioning of the entire research ecosystem. EOSC and research infrastructures share many elements, which led to the creation of an analogous governance structure—namely, the EOSC Steering Board—and is reflected in further conceptual solutions. Within ESFRI, we are well aware of this and have therefore established the ESFRI–EOSC Task Force to facilitate the natural and effective transfer of experience from ESFRI research infrastructures to the data stewardship domain. The ESFRI–EOSC Task Force also aims to highlight the key role of national and European research infrastructures as certified producers of high-quality research data, positioning them as a core pillar of EOSC. Czechia has great potential in this regard and certainly a strategic advantage. At the national level, the connection between research infrastructures and EOSC already works well. We have a consistent strategy in this area and are capable of successfully promoting it at the European level (ESFRI, EOSC SB, EOSC-A, EOSC EU node, etc.)
“EOSC and research infrastructures share many elements, which led to the creation of an analogous governance structure—namely, the EOSC Steering Board—and is reflected in further conceptual solutions.”
Across Europe, compelling national models of EOSC participation are taking shape, and even though Czechia is one of the pioneers in EOSC implementation, there are certainly approaches we could adopt or learn from. Our original inspiration came from Austria, where a strong data policy and centralized coordination were established. However, thanks to central funding, Czechia has moved significantly further. The Dutch national e-infrastructure SURF, which plays a key role in open science, could also be a source of inspiration. Like in Czechia, SURF is integrated into the national Open Science NL program, which brings together academics, libraries, IT services, and funding institutions. This program, like EOSC-CZ, is characterized by strong coordination between ministries and strong links to research institutions and scientific communities. Another inspiration, particularly in terms of sustainability, could be Germany’s modular approach and service federation, i.e., the "Nationale Forschungsdateninfrastruktur" (NFDI) initiative. NFDI creates and offers domain-specific data networks, each with its own governance, while working together on common standards. This way, NFDI combines a bottom-up community approach with top-down standardization and EOSC integration—similar to EOSC-CZ—but also creates sustainable operational models. While it’s impossible to capture the full diversity of solutions, it’s clear that the Czech approach is highly advanced and has the potential to influence the architecture and functioning of the emerging European EOSC Federation.
is a senior research fellow at the Czech Academy of Sciences and a key figure in shaping European Open Science policy. He serves as Vice-Co-Chair of the EOSC Steering Board, is a member of the EOSC Policy Group, Tripartite Governance, and the EOSC Partnership Board. He has long-standing involvement in the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI).
Proper data handling is the foundation of modern science. In the series Data Stewards: Mission FAIR, you will discover who data stewards are, what their work entails, and what tools and educational opportunities they can use.
On April 7, the data steward community gathered at Masaryk University in Brno, where participants had the opportunity not only to learn about the latest developments in research data but also to engage in discussions on the ethical and legal aspects of data management and other research data-related topics.
