Open Science – a business view on open research data

Key messages

• BusinessEurope acknowledges the huge potential of Open Science, which should not be an end in itself but rather a way to enhance Europe’s values, economic competitiveness and interests. We call for a renewed debate about the benefits and limits of open research data.
• There are no easy criteria allowing for a simple decision for or against the use of open research data. Regulators should therefore refrain from enforcing a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, they should provide a framework that ensures flexibility according to the type of research data considered, building upon the “as open as possible, as closed as necessary” principle.
• To overcome the current simplistic dichotomy “open vs closed”, we put forward a set of principles for open research data, which should lead to smart provisions for research data sharing. Based on these principles, the European Commission should prepare a guidance on the degree of openness depending on the type of research projects.