Science Europe's recent announcement marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of scholarly communication across the continent. The association, representing leading European research funding and performing organizations, has unveiled a comprehensive plan to bolster community-led open science publishing and data-sharing infrastructures. This initiative aims to empower researchers, universities, and funders to move away from commercial publishing models toward sustainable, equitable alternatives that prioritize scientific knowledge over profit.
At its core, the plan responds to growing concerns about the sustainability of traditional open access routes, particularly those reliant on high article processing charges, or APCs. By redirecting resources previously funneled into APCs—estimated to cost European institutions billions annually—funders can invest in community-owned platforms. This shift not only reduces financial burdens on universities but also fosters greater inclusivity, allowing scholars from diverse disciplines and linguistic backgrounds to participate without barriers.
The timing is particularly relevant for European higher education institutions, which have long grappled with rising publication costs amid stagnant budgets. As Horizon Europe mandates open access for all funded outputs, universities are seeking cost-effective, high-quality solutions that align with ethical publishing principles.
Understanding Community-Led Open Science Publishing
Community-led open science publishing refers to models where scholars, universities, and learned societies control the entire publication process—from peer review to dissemination—without charging authors fees or readers subscriptions. This is often termed Diamond Open Access, distinguishing it from gold open access, which depends on APCs typically ranging from €1,500 to €5,000 per article.
In practice, these models leverage university libraries, presses, and national infrastructures to host journals. For instance, processes involve transparent post-publication peer review, where articles are published immediately after basic checks, then openly reviewed, with revisions incorporated dynamically. This approach enhances speed, transparency, and accountability, core tenets of open science.
European universities stand to benefit immensely, as hosting their own platforms cuts intermediary costs and builds institutional prestige. Smaller institutions in non-English speaking countries, previously sidelined by dominant commercial publishers, can now amplify local research voices, promoting bibliodiversity—the variety of publication channels reflecting scholarly pluralism.
The Catalyst: Diamond Open Access Study Findings
Science Europe's push builds on the landmark 2021 Diamond Open Access Journals Study, commissioned with cOAlition S. This global analysis identified approximately 17,500 Diamond journals, comprising 73% of all OA journals worldwide. Notably, two-thirds operate outside English-dominant regions, underscoring their role in equitable knowledge production.
- Over 50% of Diamond journals are in Europe, with strong presence in social sciences and humanities.
- They publish 8-10% of global OA articles without fees, saving the community billions.
- Key strengths include multilingual support (over 50 languages) and community governance.
However, challenges persist: limited visibility, uneven quality assurance, and funding gaps. The study recommended standardized guidelines, capacity building, and infrastructure support—recommendations now central to Science Europe's plan.
For universities, this data validates shifting investments. Institutions like the University of Barcelona and KU Leuven have already expanded Diamond portfolios, reporting 30-50% cost savings and higher citation rates due to immediate accessibility.
Science Europe's Action Plan and Strategic Priorities
The 2022 Action Plan for Diamond Open Access, co-developed by Science Europe, cOAlition S, OPERAS, and France's ANR, outlines 12 priority actions. These include developing shared tools for quality standards, visibility enhancement, and sustainability models like consortial funding.
Recent extensions through projects like DIAMAS (2022-2025) focus on institutional publishing landscapes, training over 500 European universities in Diamond operations. By 2026, Science Europe commits to:
- Allocating 10-20% of OA budgets to Diamond infrastructures.
- Partnering with EOSC for interoperable platforms.
- Advocating policy changes in national research assessments.
This directly aids higher education by enabling universities to lead transformations. For example, the League of European Research Universities (LERU) endorses the plan, urging members to integrate Diamond metrics into tenure evaluations.
Open Research Europe: A Flagship Community Platform
A cornerstone is Open Research Europe (ORE), the European Commission's no-fee OA platform. In March 2026, CERN assumed hosting duties, expanding access to researchers from 16 funding countries including Germany, France, and the Netherlands. ORE's publish-review-curate model has published over 1,200 articles from 3,000+ institutions, with open peer reviews boosting rigor.
Universities benefit from seamless integration: Horizon Europe grantees publish instantly, curating outputs into collections. This reduces APC burdens—saving €2-3 million annually per large consortium—and enhances visibility through CERN's infrastructure.
Expansion aligns with Science Europe's vision, positioning ORE as Europe's premier community-led venue, free from commercial influence. CERN's announcement details the governance model.
Photo by Ben Garratt on Unsplash
Financial Impacts and Cost Savings for Universities
Commercial OA costs European universities €1.2 billion yearly in APCs, per recent estimates. Diamond models eliminate this, redirecting funds to research or infrastructure. A 2025 study highlighted trade-offs: while Diamond journals may have lower visibility, collective investments in directories like DOAJ yield 20-30% citation uplifts.
National consortia, like Netherlands' IOPS, demonstrate success: universities save €10 million annually while maintaining quality. Science Europe's plan encourages similar setups, forecasting €500 million continent-wide savings by 2030.
In higher education, this frees budgets for student scholarships, lab equipment, or faculty hires—critical amid enrollment pressures and funding cuts in countries like Italy and Spain.
Case Studies: European Universities Embracing Diamond OA
University College London Press (UCL Press), fully Diamond since 2013, publishes 50+ books yearly, garnering 1 million downloads. Metrics rival commercial presses, with zero APCs.
In France, OpenEdition hosts 100+ journals for SSH, serving 20 universities. Italy's Rivisteweb platform supports 200+ titles, multilingual and community-governed.
German's Göttingen University Press exemplifies scalability, with 300+ OA books and journals downloaded 5 million times. These cases show universities gaining prestige, retaining revenues, and fostering interdisciplinary work.
Science Europe's support amplifies such efforts via training and funding calls, targeting 500 institutional platforms by 2028.
Research Assessment Reforms and Open Science Alignment
Traditional metrics like Journal Impact Factors disadvantage Diamond journals. Science Europe, with EUA, backs reforms via CoARA (Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment), signed by 600+ organizations.
Universities adopting DORA (San Francisco Declaration) now value open peer reviews and data sharing. EU's 2025 agenda mandates narrative CVs, rewarding community contributions.
- 50% of European unis piloting open assessments by 2026.
- Shift boosts early-career researchers, 70% citing barriers removed.
This creates a virtuous cycle: better publishing options lead to fairer evaluations, attracting top talent. EUA's 2025 agenda outlines implementation steps.
Challenges and Solutions in the Transition
Despite promise, hurdles remain: discoverability (Diamond journals underrepresented in Scopus), technical capacity, and resistance from entrenched systems.
Solutions include:
- Shared indices like DOAB/DOAJ enhancements.
- Training via OPERAS academy, reaching 10,000 scholars.
- Consortial funding: Spain's RECOLECTA pools €20 million.
Universities mitigate via hybrid models, partnering with platforms like ARPHA for low-cost workflows. Science Europe's plan allocates €50 million seed funding, prioritizing smaller institutions.
Integration with European Open Science Cloud (EOSC)
EOSC, the EU's digital research infrastructure, will federate Diamond platforms. Science Europe's position calls for FP10 stability, ensuring interoperability for data and publications.
Universities gain seamless access: one-stop FAIR data deposition linked to OA publishing. Pilot integrations at Leiden and Uppsala show 40% efficiency gains.
By 2030, EOSC aims for 80% European research openly shared, transforming higher ed collaboration. Science Europe's EOSC stance emphasizes sustainability.
Implications for Researchers, Students, and Careers
Researchers enjoy faster publication (weeks vs. months), transparent reviews building CVs, and global reach without paywalls. Students benefit from free access to cutting-edge knowledge, essential for theses and projects.
Career-wise, open science skills—data management, FAIR principles—are now hiring criteria at 60% of EU universities. Initiatives like ORE showcase early outputs, aiding grants.
For higher ed, this democratizes knowledge, narrowing North-South divides within Europe (e.g., Eastern uni participation up 25%).
Future Outlook: A Transformed Scholarly Landscape
Science Europe's initiative, coupled with ORE's evolution and EOSC, positions Europe as OA leader. Projections: Diamond share rises to 40% by 2030, saving €2 billion, boosting innovation.
Universities must act: form consortia, train staff, reform assessments. Success stories like Sweden's national platform (€15 million investment, 200 journals) inspire.
Ultimately, community-led publishing realizes open science's promise: knowledge as public good, fueling societal progress.
