OpenAIRE & LA Referencia/ REDClara Enter into New Memorandum of Understanding

OpenAIRE, a leading European infrastructure supporting Open Science, and LA Referencia and REDClara, the Latin American federated network for open scholarly communication, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize and deepen their decade-long collaboration in fostering Open Science and interoperability between Europe and Latin America.

For over ten years, LA Referencia has successfully participated in OpenAIRE projects, integrating its collection, adopting metadata standards, and incorporating OpenAIRE-developed technologies. This new MoU provides a more formalised and structured framework to expand joint technological developments, enhance interoperability standards, and share training resources on Open Science.

Through this agreement, OpenAIRE, LA Referencia and REDClara commit to:

• Advancing Open Science Infrastructure: Collaborate on technical developments to enhance metadata aggregation, repository interoperability, and data exchange mechanisms.

• Promoting Regional and Global Open Access: Increase the visibility and accessibility of scientific outputs across Latin America and Europe.

• Aligning Open Science Policies: Work together to integrate national Open Science policies and promote common metadata standards.

• Enhancing Training and Capacity Building: Share training resources and expertise to strengthen Open Science literacy among researchers and institutions. 

This partnership will significantly benefit researchers, institutions, and policymakers by increasing the visibility of publicly funded research. LA Referencia currently connects 10 countries, aggregating more than 5.5 million Open Access research results from approximately 2,000 repositories and journals. By joining forces with OpenAIRE, this vast collection will gain greater international exposure, ensuring more equitable access to knowledge worldwide.

Patricia Muñoz Palma, Vice President, LA Referencia:

" This cooperation agreement with OpenAIRE aligns with LA Referencia’s strategic priorities aimed at strengthening infrastructures for the development of science at a global level, where international collaboration and technological advancements address the challenges of open science."

Eloy Rodrigues, Director of the University of Minho Libraries & OpenAIRE Executive Board Vice Chair:

"This agreement marks a significant milestone in our decade-long collaboration with LA Referencia/ REDClara. By formalizing our partnership, we strengthen our joint efforts to advance Open Science, ensuring greater interoperability, accessibility, and visibility for research outputs across Europe and Latin America. Together, we are building a more inclusive and globally connected research ecosystem." 

This strategic agreement highlights OpenAIRE and LA Referencia/ REDClara’s shared mission to advance Open Science and improve access to knowledge globally. Stay tuned for upcoming initiatives that will drive greater collaboration and innovation in scholarly communication. 

About LA Referencia

LA Referencia, the Latin American network of open science, at the present formed by ten public science and technology government agencies of the member countries, which has been developing and expanding for more than ten years through a set of agreements, open software, infrastructure and services to support national Open Science policies and strategies in Latin America and Spain.

https://www.lareferencia.info/en/

About RedCLARA

RedCLARA is the Latin American Research and Education Network, regional leader and promotor of collaboration and development in education, science and innovation, by means of its e-infrastructure and services tailored for its community needs. RedCLARA provides regional interconnections and connections to the world through its international links and promotes the development of tools, services and research projects to empower regional scientific and educational development and the collaboration among Latin American R&E institutions and of Latin America with the rest of the world, with an important focus on less developed regions, and on promotion of open data sharing, especially for research and education purposes.

https://www.redclara.net/en/

About OpenAIRE

OpenAIRE is a European e-Infrastructure committed to advancing Open Science by improving research visibility, accessibility, and reusability. Through a vast network of partners, OpenAIRE provides services and support to researchers, institutions, and policymakers across Europe. OpenAIRE is a key implementer of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC).

https://www.openaire.eu/