Back to the Future: European Repositories for the Era of Open Science

This presentation by the library director of Minho University focuses on OpenAire, a non-profit organisation established in 2018, evolving from EU-funded projects since 2009. OpenAire aims to promote open science through infrastructure and a network of experts. It collaborates globally, especially with Latin America, the US, Canada, Japan, and Korea, and has 52 members from 36 European countries.

OpenAire’s mission is to enhance scholarly communication by promoting openness, transparency, and accessibility. It supports researchers, institutions, and policymakers in adopting open science practices. The organisation has identified five strategic priorities, including innovation in research communication and infrastructure for open scholarly communication.

A significant part of OpenAire’s work involves developing a strategy to strengthen the European repository network, in collaboration with SPARC Europe, Liber, and the Confederation of Open Access Repositories. This strategy focuses on advocacy, best practices, and creating national repository networks. Key challenges identified include software updates, metadata preservation, and repository visibility. The presentation emphasises the importance of repositories in the scholarly ecosystem, advocating for their role in promoting equity, diversity, and innovation in research.