On 3 November, a three-day EOSC Symposium was held in Brussels, during which the EOSC Federation was formally inaugurated. This event represents another significant step in the development of an open European digital research environment. The NCN is actively engaged in this process.
The Symposium offered three days of substantive discussions and inspiration, featuring 21 sessions, more than 500 participants and representatives from 36 countries. The event brought together representatives of the European Commission, members of national, thematic and e-infrastructure EOSC nodes, as well as researchers and experts in the field of research data and research service management. The event programme featured stimulating discussions and presentations by the thirteen pioneering candidate EOSC nodes, as well as the European EOSC EU Node.
Polish representation at the Symposium
The Polish EOSC Node, EOSC-PL, was represented by delegates from organisations actively involved in its development, including the National Science Centre, Gdańsk University of Technology, the Academic Computer Centre Cyfronet of the AGH University of Krakow and the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The National Science Centre, as the National Mandated Organisation within the EOSC Association, was represented by: Marcin Liana – Deputy Director of NCN, Aneta Pazik-Aybar – Head of the Open Science Team, Klaudyna Śpiewak-Wojtyła, Natalia Galica and Jan Wieczorek.
Memorandum of Understanding
On the first day of the Symposium, Klaus Tochtermann, President of the EOSC Association, signed the Memorandum of Understanding establishing the EOSC Federation. The document sets out the framework for the operation and collaboration of national, thematic and e-infrastructure nodes, forming a coherent ecosystem for Open Science in Europe.
During the opening of the event, Marc Lemaître, Director-General of DG RTD at the European Commission, highlighted the strategic importance of EOSC for Europe’s digital transformation: “What matters most is that we maintain the momentum, ambition and shared purpose that have brought us to this point. EOSC must become the backbone of Europe’s digital research and innovation ecosystem. The European Commission fully supports this transformative undertaking.”
Klaus Tochtermann emphasised that the success of EOSC depends not only on technology, but above all on the people who contribute to its development: “This moment demonstrates what can be achieved through the shared governance of the European research ecosystem. The EOSC Federation will connect not only technical infrastructures, but also the people and principles behind them, creating the social infrastructure they require,” he added.
The signing of the MoU is especially significant because EOSC has been identified as one of the key components in the development of the European Research Area (ERA) – both in the Council of the European Research Area (ERA) – both in the European Council's recommendations on the ERA Policy Agenda and in the European Strategy for Research and Technology Infrastructure. An important reference to the EOSC is also included in the new European Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Science.
Polish EOSC Node – pioneer of the Federation
The participation of the Polish EOSC Node, EOSC-PL, in the Federation is not only a distinction but also a commitment to co-creating the foundations of the European community of data, digital tools and research services. The inclusion of EOSC-PL among the first nodes confirms Poland's growing role in building the European Open Science ecosystem.
“The signing of the Memorandum is not only a symbolic moment, but a genuine opening of a new stage in European cooperation. Through the EOSC Federation, we will be able to jointly build a trusted, interoperable environment for data-driven science, in which Polish researchers will be full participants in the European ecosystem,” emphasised Aneta Pazik-Aybar.
One of the key highlights of the second day of the EOSC Symposium was the announcement of a new call for candidate nodes and two grant competitions under the EOSC Gravity project. These initiatives are intended to support the creation of new nodes and the provision of additional resources within the Federation.
In her opening address, Enrica Porcari, Head of the Information Technology Department at CERN, noted: “We live in a world in which the keyword for success is federation.”
Polish contribution – the EOSC-PL presentation
That day also featured demonstrative presentations by the candidate nodes participating in the pilot phase of the Federation. Among them was a presentation entitled "From National Resources to EOSC: The EOSC Node Poland Gateway,” delivered by Roksana Wilk (Cyfronet AGH), who serves as Technical Operations Manager within EOSC-PL. The project was prepared by the EOSC-PL working group composed of Łukasz Opioła (Cyfronet AGH), Piotr Krajewski (PG), Marcin Wichorowski (IO PAN), Aneta Pazik-Aybar (NCN), Jan Wieczorek (NCN), Katarzyna Lechowska-Winiarz (Cyfronet AGH) and Alicja Świerad (Cyfronet AGH).
The presentation aimed to demonstrate how EOSC-PL enables the discovery of research data catalogues, develops e-infrastructure and provides services supporting digital science within the Federation. The demonstration also included a sample workflow illustrating the use of EOSC-PL resources alongside those of other nodes within the Federation. A case study was presented on predicting the occurrence of toxic cyanobacterial blooms – a challenge that requires access to distributed data stored in diverse formats. The presentation demonstrated how EOSC-PL helps overcome these barriers and makes data integration possible in practice.
Session on Building Federation Nodes
On the second day of the Symposium, Aneta Pazik-Aybar (NCN), together with Suzanne Dumouchel, Director of the EOSC Association, co-led the session "EOSC Federation: Opportunities and Challenges in Building a Node”. The session examined various pathways for developing nodes within the Federation, emphasising that there is no single universal route to success.
Speakers included: Andrew Gotz (EOSC Node PaNOSC, ESRF), Jessica Parland-von Essen (EOSC Node Finland, CSC – IT Center for Science), Matteo Zanaroli (EOSC Node Italy, ICSC Foundation) and Jos van Wezel (EOSC Node EUDAT, KIT).
The experts emphasised that EOSC nodes should be designed with the researchers who use them in mind – to support their work, foster the development of digital competencies and encourage collaboration in areas such as artificial intelligence and advanced computing. The panel also highlighted the challenges associated with multi-partner collaboration, the rapid pace of technological development and the complex legal and organisational frameworks involved. The session concluded with a reminder that Open Science does not happen on its own – it requires daily commitment, informed decisions and the consistent implementation of principles of collaboration.
Final Day of the Symposium
The final day of the Symposium opened with a keynote by Shelley Stall, Vice President at the American Geophysical Union (AGU). Stall stressed that the absence of operational research data management poses a real limitation to scientific progress: “Let us not allow complacency to lull us to sleep,” she emphasised.
On this day, Aneta Pazik-Aybar delivered a presentation entitled "The Case of Poland: Moving Ahead Together in Building the National EOSC Node”. Her presentation focused on the Polish experience and the activities undertaken to build the national EOSC node. It was delivered as part of the session "Leveraging National Capacities for Digital Services for Research," which centred on the use of national resources and initiatives in the development of digital infrastructure for science.
A Shared Vision for Open Science
The final workshop sessions focused on reviewing the activities undertaken in individual countries and on how local initiatives can accelerate the development of EOSC. Participants consistently stressed the need for new incentives for institutions and researchers, as well as for opening resources to innovators and start-ups. There was a clear consensus: it is essential to build an environment that genuinely supports the advancement of Open Science, bringing together technology, skills and human engagement.
Significant attention was also devoted to preparing researchers and data stewards to work within the digital ecosystem – through training, skills development and the exchange of experience. It was agreed that investing in people’s skills is essential if EOSC is to function effectively in practice.
The next edition of the EOSC Symposium will take place in Italy in the autumn of 2026.
