Report of the Bologna Meeting on Open Research Information

In May 2025, signatories, supporters, and interested participants in the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information met in Bologna, Italy, to continue advancing the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information. The one-day hybrid event took place in the context of the 5th Workshop on Open Citations and Open Scholarly Metadata (WOOC2025), co-organized by the Barcelona Declaration, the University of Bologna, and OpenCitations.

Nearly 200 participants from 35 countries took part in a day of dialogue and collaboration, designed to collectively advance the Barcelona Declaration. The event focused on sharing implementation experiences, strengthening connections across working groups, and shaping the next steps of the Barcelona Declaration roadmap.

The day opened with welcoming remarks from Raffaella Campaner (Vice Rector for International Relations, University of Bologna) and Bianca Kramer (Executive Director, Barcelona Declaration), setting the tone for an action-oriented meeting. Presentations from signatories — Fundación “la Caixa,” the California Digital Library, and the Dutch network of signatories — offered practical insights into how the Declaration is being implemented in diverse institutional contexts.

The second part of the day was dedicated to interactive breakout sessions. Across two rounds, the Declaration’s seven working groups shared updates, gathered feedback, and discussed priorities in open and collaborative settings. Coordinators later reported back in plenary, highlighting key discussion points and ideas for moving forward.

The meeting concluded with a forward-looking session outlining emerging priorities for governance, collaboration, and global engagement.

The Report of the Bologna Meeting on Open Research Information summarizes key outcomes and highlights the progress, priorities, and next steps identified across the Barcelona Declaration’s working groups.