REPOSITORIES: Key Infrastructure For Μaintaining European Research Εxcellence

Following the launch of the joint strategy by OpenAIRE, LIBER, SPARC Europe, and COAR in 2023, aimed at strengthening the European repository network and the publication of the initial report on the survey of the European repository landscape in December 2023, the group proceeded to conduct a community consultation, in two waves, that was completed at the end of 2024.

The final results of this study capture important insights from the repository community, shedding light also on emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities in shaping the European Open Science landscape. This report, named IMPACT-REPO Action Plan is the culmination of over two years of work to document the current state of repositories in Europe and identify key roles and functionalities for the future; it highlights the importance of a robust repository network for safeguarding Europe’s research production and advancing scientific excellence in Europe, despite the low awareness about the important role repositories they play in the European research ecosystem.

The IMPACT-REPO Action Plan aims to address this lack of visibility by articulating four key portraits of the role of repositories: Repositories for impact, inclusiveness, trust, and innovation; it also illustrates the key contributions of repositories in open science, while at the same time identifying points of action that will help ensure the viability of European repositories in the future to come.