EOSC

EOSC stands for the European Open Science Cloud, an initiative of the European Union to create a unified virtual environment for European researchers to discover, access, analyze, and reuse scientific data, software, and services. The aim is to enable open science by federating existing data infrastructures, computing resources, and research services across Europe into a single interoperable ecosystem.

EOSC is designed as a federated cloud, not a single platform. Researchers can register and access datasets, tools, and computing resources through the EOSC Portal and associated service providers, using standardized metadata, authentication, and authorization, and consistent licensing where possible. The architecture emphasizes FAIR data principles and interoperability standards to facilitate discovery and reuse of resources across disciplines and borders.

Governance and funding: The initiative is driven by the European Commission together with member states, research performers, and research communities. It is implemented through EU programs, including Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, and sustained by a governance framework that includes a central EOSC Secretariat, a governance board or steering structure, and a federation of data infrastructures and service providers. Funding supports development of the portal, service catalogs, trusted data spaces, and capacity-building activities.

Scope and services: key components include the EOSC Portal, service catalogs, data spaces, training and outreach programs, and pilots to integrate data and compute resources. EOSC promotes FAIR data practices, open licensing, and interoperation across disciplines.

Impact and outlook: EOSC aims to lower barriers to data sharing, enhance reproducibility and collaboration, and accelerate research across Europe. It is an evolving ecosystem, with ongoing efforts to expand coverage, improve governance, and broaden participation of research infrastructures, institutions, and researchers.