The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) is creating a European network for research data and digital research services. EOSC brings together existing infrastructures into a federated system. This makes existing resources easier to find, enables their use in conjunction with one another, and facilitates their deployment across institutional, disciplinary, and national boundaries.

The goal is to facilitate scientific collaboration and promote the open, interoperable exchange of data and services in Europe. EOSC thus also contributes to the digital transformation of research and to a common European data space. Interoperable and reusable data are also a crucial foundation for data-driven research, not least in the field of AI.

EOSC is supported and funded by the European Commission, the EU Member States, and the research communities. EOSC is primarily implemented through the EOSC Federation, a network of interconnected EOSC nodes. The EOSC Federation is currently being further developed and prepared for its transition to operational status. In doing so, EOSC not only supports the implementation of Open Science and the FAIR principles, but also contributes to Europe's digital sovereignty, trust and transparency in science and innovation, as well as to European competitiveness.

EOSC Association

The EOSC Association (EOSC-A) coordinates the contributions of its community and works together with the European Commission and the Member States to further develop EOSC. Shared objectives and complementary contributions at the European, national, and institutional levels help to build EOSC sustainably and align it with the needs of the research community.

Founded in July 2020, the EOSC Association brings together institutions from the European research and innovation landscape. It therefore plays a central role in defining and implementing strategies, priorities, and frameworks. Interested organisations are invited to join the EOSC Association as a member or observer.

EOSC Federation

The EOSC Federation connects national, thematic, and European EOSC nodes and follows a federated "system-of-systems" architecture. The nodes contribute existing research infrastructures, data sets, services, and digital resources to the Federation and make them accessible to the European research community under common framework conditions.

The Federation is intended to enable resources from different institutions and research areas to be interconnected and shared. In doing so, it takes into account requirements relating to interoperability, security, trust, and the sustainable provision of services.

The EOSC Federation is being implemented in stages. The first wave of nodes was established in 2025; a second wave was launched in 2026. As a result, the EOSC is increasingly evolving from a shared European vision and a research and innovation program into a federated European infrastructure for research data and services.

Development and Implementation of EOSC

The development of the European Open Science Cloud is based on a long-term process of consultation and coordination pursued by the European Commission since 2015. This process has involved, and continues to involve, stakeholders from the European research community, the Member States, and the research policy sector.

During the first implementation phase, numerous projects were funded under Horizon 2020 to develop and test key components and services of EOSC. Since 2021, EOSC has been implemented within the framework of the European Partnership for EOSC. Its priorities are aligned with the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), which is developed and refined in collaboration with the EOSC community.

A stakeholder-driven approach characterizes the current implementation phase. A shared vision, common goals, and complementary contributions at the European, national, and institutional levels form the basis for further development. The EOSC Federation connects EOSC nodes and existing research infrastructures, thereby creating the conditions for cross-border access to research data, software, and services. In parallel with the technical and organizational implementation, work is underway on the long-term development of EOSC beyond 2027.