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Building Open Science together: HOSI Driving Policy Adoption in Greece

Feb 7, 2025

On 10–11/12/2024 the 3rd Open Science Symposium was organised by the Hellenic Open Science Initiative (HOSI) at the National Center for Natural Sciences Research “Demokritos” in Athens. The two-day agenda served both as the Greek National Tripartite Event (NTE) and as a networking and capacity-building occasion bringing together the Greek research and innovation community. Under the auspices of the Ministries of Development, Digital Governance, and Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, it welcomed policymakers, researchers, educators, and industry leaders to share insights, explore synergies, and define strategies for advancing Open Science at macro and micro levels. At the heart of the Symposium was a powerful vision: creating a research culture that thrives on transparency, accessibility, and collaboration

From Greece to Europe: Democratising Research to Advance Open Science

Greece has emerged as a key contributor to Open Science in Europe, ranking as the 7th country in competitive projects and leading core implementation actions, significantly the EOSC EU Node and the OpenAIRE infrastructure. These contributions underscore Greece’s role in shaping the EOSC Federation, particularly in governance structures and interoperability frameworks, as part of the 2025 milestones. However, despite these advancements, efforts to bring these developments into the Greek research ecosystem face challenges due to minimal national support. The lack of sustained commitment from ministries limits the potential for long-term, scalable Open Science solutions.

Against this backdrop, bottom-up efforts have been instrumental in driving Open Science forward. Since 2019, the HOSI has played a key role in aligning local research priorities with European objectives. One of its major achievements is the ongoing development of a National Plan for Open Science, which aims to integrate national efforts with the broader goals of the European Research Area (ERA), including the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). 

The National Tripartite Event at a Glance

The Greek NTE demonstrated the commitment as well as recognised the efforts of the HOSI in driving Open Science in Greece and aligning national efforts with EOSC priorities. Key discussions focused on governance, funding sustainability, and infrastructure development, emphasising the need for stronger coordination between ministries, research institutions, and funding agencies to bridge policy gaps and ensure long-term support for Open Science initiatives.

One of the main outcomes was the need to collectively update national digital policies, such as the Digital Transformation Bible, to incorporate Open Science principles through clearly defined implementation actions and responsibilities for each actor. The event also showcased international best practices, offering concrete examples of effective research data management and interoperability frameworks in light of the emerging EOSC Nodes. These discussions provided actionable insights for refining Greece’s approach to Open Science while ensuring alignment with broader European strategies.

The day concluded with a poster session featuring various research projects, demonstrating the diverse contributions of Greek organisations to Open Science and EOSC. This was followed by a Welcome Reception, providing participants with the opportunity to network and exchange ideas in an informal setting.

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HOSI in Action: Highlights of capacity building activities

On the second day of the Symposium, key concepts and current practices related to Open Science were presented, followed by a discussion on the legal challenges in implementing Open Science. The session concluded with a presentation on how Open Science contributes to the sustainable development goals.

Participants then took part in workshops centered on Open Access, FAIR data, and Open Data, which included a live demonstration of the EOSC EU Node. Interactive workshops introduced various tools and services supporting Open Science, highlighting how specific practices cater to different scientific disciplines. These sessions showcased HOSI member's collective expertise and portfolio of key tools, infrastructures, and licensing practices across the Social Sciences, Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Technology, addressing the unique needs and opportunities within each field.

OpenAIRE at the 3rd Open Science Symposium

As one of the most prominent organisations actively shaping the Open Science landscape in Greece and Europe, OpenAIRE had a central role in this Symposium, both through active participation in the panel discussions, an on-site information booth for participants seeking information around OpenAIRE’s work and services, as well as contributions to the workshops that took place on the second day of the event.

More specifically, Elli Papadopoulou from ATHENA Research Center, who is also the Greek OpenAIRE NOAD and EOSC-A representative, led the organisation of the event as a legacy activity bringing all stakeholders together since 2018. Addressing the HOSI efforts, she presented the work undertaken in the Policy Working Group, outlining the revision of the proposal for a National Open Science Plan for Greece with an emphasis on research assessment actions.

On the same day, Natalia Manola, OpenAIRE CEO, moderated a discussion on the topic of policy and the future of Open Science in the Greek national Research & Innovation ecosystem; the panel was comprised of representatives both from the political leadership of relevant ministries as well as research funding organisations. The session focused on the steps being taken by national organisations towards shaping policies and strategies, the important role of institutions such as central academic structures and of course the challenges and opportunities that the application of Open Science practices represents for Greece. Another important topic discussed was the necessity for a national Open Science network that supports interconnectivity between interested parties and is self-sustainable. The panel assisted in defining the next steps to communicating the HOSI outputs to the three ministries.

Among the invited speakers were OpenAIRE NOADs for Cyprus and Hungary. Sylvia Koukounidou, from the University of Cyprus Library, highlighted the collaboration between the Cypriot research community and the Deputy Ministry to drive Open Science policy adoption. Judit Fazekas-Paragh, Head of Education and Research Support at the University of Debrecen, also shared her insights on fostering collaboration in Hungary to advance Open Science, publications, data stewardship, and EOSC services.

Training courses delivered on the second day by Marianna Katrakazi, OpenAIRE’s Legal Advisor, delved into the topic of open access, copyrights and proper use of licenses, offering targeted insights on mitigating IPRissues within the Open Science environment. At the same time, hands-on sessions on specific services helped familiarise participants with practical applications of Open Science, such as ARGOS for Data Management Plans or the Horizon Europe requirements and how to meet them.

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Looking Ahead

The 3rd Open Science Symposium in Greece offered valuable insights into the progress and potential of Open Science. Through its leadership in initiatives like HOSI, Greece continues to bridge national priorities with European and global frameworks, ensuring that Open Science principles are adopted widely and effectively.

As Open Science evolves, sustained efforts will be essential to embed these practices across disciplines, institutions, and borders. The symposium reaffirmed the importance of collaboration, strategic alignment, and capacity building in creating a more transparent and inclusive research environment.

*For more information about the symposium and related resources, visit the Hellenic Open Science Initiative website.