OpenAIRE e-infrastructure, in 24/7 operation since 2010, ensures availability of Europe’s research publications, data and other outputs in an open way by interconnecting scientific results (publications, data, software), linking them to entities that produced them (people, organizations, funders, facilities) and making them available for everyone to read, reuse and reproduce.
OpenAIRE has grown through a series of project phases funded by the European Commission: from the DRIVER projects to link Europe’s repository infrastructure, to the first OpenAIRE project aimed to assist the EC in implementing its initial pilot for Open Access (OA) to publications, and, through several further phases which have extended and consolidated the OpenAIRE mission to implement Open Science policies.
DRIVER I (2006-2007) & II (2007-2009)
DRIVER was a multinational initiative, co-financed by the European Commission. Its goal was twofold; to explore the development of a distributed infrastructure that would enable enhanced interoperability of data and, to establish a cohesive, pan-European infrastructure of Digital Repositories, offering sophisticated functionality services to both Researchers and the public.
DRIVER created a network of digital repositories containing research and other scholarly publications from twelve, either partner institutions or national clusters across ten European countries, including many core members of the continuing OpenAIRE consortium.
It enabled a production-quality digital repository infrastructure and led to the establishment of COAR (the Confederation of Open Access Repositories).
OpenAIRE (2009-2012), (2012-2014), (2015-2018), (2018-2020)
OpenAIRE has undergone four major phases via distinct EC funded Projects.
The firstphase, the so-called “OPENAIRE Project” started in 1st December 2009 with a duration of 36 months. The Project aim was to support the implementation of Open Access in Europe. It provided the means to promote and realize the widespread adoption of the Open Access Policy, as set out by the ERC Scientific Council Guidelines for Open Access and the Open Access pilot launched by the European Commission in FP7.
During the second phase, the “OPENAIREPLUS Project” which started in 1st December 2011 and lasted 30 months., OpenAIRE extended the mission further to facilitate access to the entire Open Access scientific production of the European Research Area, providing cross-links from publications to data and funding schemes. This large-scale project brought together 41 pan-European partners, including three cross-disciplinary research communities. Find detalied results from project executive report.
The third phase continued via the “OPENAIRE2020 Project” which started in 1st January 2015 and lasted for 42 months. OpenAIRE2020 supported the H2020 full OA to publications implement and monitor these activities by promoting open scholarship and substantially improving the discoverability and reusability of research publications and data. The initiative brought together professionals from 50 institutions all over Europe, including research libraries, open scholarship organisations, national e-Infrastructure and data experts, as well as, IT and legal researchers. The network of National Open Access Desks (NOADs) has been extended expanded once again (to 33 countries), in order to collect H2020 project outputs, and support research data management. Backing this vast outreach, the OpenAIRE platform continued its extension.
OpenAIRE entered its fourth phase with the “OpenAIRE-Advance” project, which started on 1 January 2018 and lasted for 36 months. OpenAIRE-Advance continued the mission of OpenAIRE to support Open Access and Open Data mandates in Europe. By sustaining the successful infrastructure—comprised of a human network and robust technical services—it consolidated its achievements while working to shift momentum among its communities towards Open Science, aiming to become a trusted e-Infrastructure within the framework of the European Open Science Cloud. During this phase, OpenAIRE-Advance empowered its National Open Access Desks (NOADs) to become pivotal actors within their national data infrastructures, positioning Open Access and Open Science firmly on national agendas.
In 2018, OpenAIRE established a legal entity called OpenAIRE AMKE to ensure a permanent presence and structure for a European-wide national policy and open scholarly communication infrastructure.
Integration within EOSC (2021)
In January 2021, OpenAIRE Coordinator OpenAIRE Nexus, acting as project coordinator. Nexus integrated and delivered a portfolio of Open Science services to the European research community, strengthening OpenAIRE’s operational capacity and service interoperability within the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC).
In parallel, OpenAIRE became a key partner in EOSC Future, contributing core services and technical expertise to the further implementation of EOSC and reinforcing the role of the OpenAIRE Graph within the evolving EOSC ecosystem. During this period, OpenAIRE also expanded its participation in European collaborations supporting FAIR data practices and research assessment reform.
FAIR Core Services and Strategic Service Contracts (2022-2023)
Between 2022 and 2023, OpenAIRE participated in FAIRCORE4EOSC, contributing to the development of FAIR-enabling core components for EOSC, including enhancements to Persistent Identifier (PID) services and interoperability frameworks.
During the same period, OpenAIRE contributed to PATTERN, promoting Open and Responsible Research & Innovation through training and community engagement.
In 2023, OpenAIRE became a key partner in the EOSC EU Node – LOT 1 Service Contract, marking a major strategic milestone and the beginning of its operational role within the emerging EOSC Federation.
EOSC EU Node Operations, Service Contracts and New European Initiatives(2024-2025)
DDuring 2024–2025, OpenAIRE contributed to the deployment and operation of the EOSC EU Node – LOT 1 Service Contract, supporting the delivery of core managed services within the EOSC Federation.
In 2024, OpenAIRE began coordinating OSTrails, advancing the integration of planning, tracking, and assessment mechanisms across the research lifecycle and strengthening the connection between research outputs, data management planning, and research assessment reform.
OpenAIRE also coordinated EOSC-Track, providing monitoring, policy analysis, and evidence-based reporting to support the governance and strategic development of the European Open Science Cloud. Through EOSC-Track, OpenAIRE reinforced its role in delivering structured indicators and policy intelligence for EOSC implementation.
During this period, OpenAIRE delivered several European and national service contracts, including SciLifeLab, Abacus, Argos OpenCDMP, and the National Open Access Monitor Ireland, reinforcing its role as a trusted provider of Open Science services beyond EU framework projects.
OpenAIRE further participated in European collaborations such as EOSC United, EOSC Beyond, Open Science Observatory, and EVERSE, consolidating its contribution to EOSC governance, interoperability, monitoring, and research software quality.
At the same time, OpenAIRE expanded its engagement at the intersection of Open Science and Artificial Intelligence through initiatives such as RAISE and SCIANCE, supporting the development of trusted infrastructures enabling AI-driven scientific research.
By 2025, these milestones reflected OpenAIRE’s evolution into an operational European e-Infrastructure combining project coordination, strategic partnerships, and service contract delivery across the Open Science ecosystem.