Valuable information produced by researchers in many projects funded by the European Union (EU) will be shared freely as a result of a Pilot on Open Research Data in Horizon 2020, the EU framework program for research and innovation. Researchers in projects participating in the pilot are asked to make the underlying data needed to validate the results presented in scientific publications and other scientific information available for use by other researchers, industries, and citizens. According to the European Commission (EC), this will lead to better and more efficient science and improved transparency for citizens and society. It will also contribute to economic growth through open innovation, the EC said. For 2014–2015, topical areas participating in the Open Research Data Pilot will receive funding of around €3 billion.

The Commission recognizes that research data are as important as publications. It therefore announced in 2012 that it would experiment with open access to research data. The Pilot on Open Research Data in Horizon 2020 aims to improve and maximize access to and reuse of research data generated by projects for the benefit of society and the economy.

The Pilot involves the following key areas of Horizon 2020:

• ■ Future and Emerging Technologies

• ■ Research infrastructures—part e-Infrastructures

• ■ Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies—Information and Communication Technologies

• ■ Societal Challenge: Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy—part Smart cities and communities

• ■ Societal Challenge: Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw materials—with the exception of topics in the area of raw materials

• ■ Societal Challenge: Europe in a changing world—inclusive, innovative, and reflective Societies

• ■ Science with and for Society

Neelie Kroes, Vice President of the European Commission for the Digital Agenda, said, “This Pilot is an opportunity to see how different disciplines share data in practice and to understand remaining obstacles.”

Projects may opt out of the pilot to allow for the protection of intellectual property or personal data, in view of security concerns, or should the main objective of their research be compromised by making data openly accessible.

The Pilot will give the EC a better understanding of what supporting infrastructure is needed and of the impact of limiting factors such as data protection. It will also contribute insights into how best to create incentives for researchers to manage and share their research data.