Opening up Science

Campus news - The EuroTech Universities Alliance calls on the EU for sufficient long-term funding for Open Science models which transcend disciplinary boundaries, national borders and engage a wider range of societal actors. The Alliance of the Technical University of Denmark, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, the Eindhoven University of Technology and the Technical University of Munich discussed about opening up science with stakeholders from politics, industry, and society in Brussels yesterday. The concept of Open Science is that the entire scientific process, from the initial idea to final publication, is made transparent to the public and open to involvement, even of non-scientists. Methodologies and process steps are documented (Open Methodology), data and technologies enter the public domain (Open Data, Open Source), research results are openly reviewed and published (Open Peer Review, Open Access). As one of the key priorities for EU research and innovation policy, Open Science attempts to capture the tremendous changes currently experienced in the scientific world. These changes are linked to an ever-increasing amount of data, the availability of digital technologies, the growing number and interconnectedness of actors engaged in science, as well as the need to rapidly and transparently address the concerns of today's society. 'Technical universities? historical closeness to industry makes it especially easy for them to follow Open Science principles', says Jan Mengelers, President of Eindhoven University of Technology at this year's High Level Event of the EuroTech Universities Alliance.