Open Science in Motion: OSFair 2025 at CERN, Geneva

The fifth Open Science Fair (OSFair), OpenAIRE's flagship biennial event co-organised with the CERN Open Science Office, brought the global Open Science community together at the Science Gateway at CERN in Geneva from 15 to 17 September 2025 for three inspiring days of collaboration and exchange. Held under the theme "Fusing Forces – Accelerating Open Science through Collaboration," the Fair became a vibrant hub of ideas, debate, and innovation - a space where infrastructures, policies, communities, and practices united to deliberate and co-create the future of research.

With 353 participants representing 43 countries across 5 continents, the delegates truly reflected the global and diverse nature of the open science movement. Across the three days, the programme featured a rich mix of 12 panels, 20 individual presentations, 2 keynotes, 7 workshops, 12 demos and 24 posters, offering multiple ways for participants to engage and contribute. These sessions were organised into five thematic tracks, each highlighting a critical dimension of Open Science. 

[Credits © 2025 CERN, Photographer Marina Cavazza]

Beyond Compliance: Measuring and Maximizing Open Science Impact

This track pushed participants to rethink how we evaluate the success of Open Science. Instead of treating compliance as a checklist, the discussion focused on how to capture the real effects of openness. Funders, policymakers and institutions asked how new indicators could move beyond inputs to show whether research outputs are reused, whether data informs decision making, and whether communities gain genuine benefits. The emphasis was on developing monitoring tools that not only track practices but also make the value of Open Science visible.

Speakers highlighted that funders in particular need to know if their investments deliver measurable societal impact, while researchers want recognition for open practices that do not always count in traditional systems. The debate converged on a key message: compliance may start the journey, but impact is what gives Open Science legitimacy. To move forward, indicators must capture transparency, reuse and collaboration, ensuring that openness is not just mandated but rewarded.

Open, but at What Cost? Research Security and Open Science

The promise of openness comes with real risks, and this track revealed the hidden costs of maintaining trust. Zenodo shared striking figures: nearly a quarter of user accounts had to be deleted, with 1.8 percent of new accounts identified as spam and more than 15 percent of records removed due to abuse. Beyond spammers, infrastructures face predatory publishers, falsifiers and even AI-generated conspiracy content. The work of protecting platforms is constant, yet often invisible, and raises important questions about responsibility and sustainability.

Participants debated the delicate balance between openness and control. Automated filters, tiered access limits and community reporting were presented as necessary but imperfect solutions, with false positives sometimes blocking legitimate researchers, particularly from developing regions. The conclusion was that openness cannot mean vulnerability. Security, due process and clear governance are essential to preserve trust. Protecting infrastructures is costly, but without trust, the Open Science ecosystem cannot survive.

Building the Digital Backbone: Open Science Infrastructures

This track explored the infrastructures that underpin every act of openness and the technical and social challenges they face. Discussions showcased how integrating diverse data sources and enriching knowledge graphs with additional layers of metadata can uncover patterns, gaps, and correlations between research activity and regional or thematic priorities. Spatial and contextual data, still underused in many domains, were shown to offer valuable insights that can inform both research and policy decisions.

At the same time, the conversations underscored the ongoing fragility of computational reproducibility. Only a small proportion of computational experiments can currently be rerun with identical results. While tools and platforms exist to preserve data, code, workflows, and computing environments, significant barriers remain. Producing robust, reusable code requires substantially more time and resources than code developed for private use, and many researchers lack the incentives to do so. The overall outcome emphasized that infrastructures are not optional add-ons but essential public goods that require sustained investment, close collaboration between technical and scientific communities, and a culture that actively values reproducibility.

Rethinking Research Assessment

Reform in research assessment emerged as both urgent and transformative. Participants acknowledged that as long as careers are tied to journal prestige and narrow metrics, progress toward Open Science will remain limited. The track examined how evaluation systems could shift to reward openness, transparency and collaboration. It was argued that assessment reform is not a side issue but the foundation on which other changes depend. Without it, incentives will continue to discourage sharing, reuse and interdisciplinary work.

The debate explored practical pathways for change, such as integrating Open Science practices into grant evaluations, developing new community-owned frameworks, and aligning policies across borders to avoid fragmented approaches. Participants were candid about the cultural resistance such reforms face, but the consensus was strong: rethinking assessment is revolutionary. It requires courage and persistence, yet it is essential if we want to create a system that recognises what truly advances knowledge and benefits society.

Open Science for All: Skills and Community

This track reminded everyone that technology and policy are only effective when people are empowered to use them. Sessions celebrated initiatives aimed at training early-career researchers, equipping institutions in underrepresented regions, and expanding citizen science as a bridge between research and society. Skills and inclusivity were presented not as supportive measures but as central pillars of a sustainable Open Science culture.

The discussions emphasised that communities thrive when they are given ownership and agency. Inclusivity was framed as a prerequisite, not an optional extra. From addressing language barriers to ensuring equitable access to infrastructures, the track highlighted practical ways to bring more voices into the conversation. The message was unambiguous: only when everyone, everywhere, has the skills, confidence and resources to participate can Open Science fulfil its promise of being truly global and truly open.

A Collective Message: Fusing Forces for the Future

As the Fair came to a close, one message resonated above all others: Open Science is a collective endeavour. The theme "Fusing Forces" was not just a slogan but a reality reflected in every track. From securing infrastructures and mapping knowledge, to reshaping incentives and building skills, the sessions demonstrated that collaboration is the force that accelerates progress.

Recordings of all sessions are available on the CERN Document Server, and presentations can be accessed through the dedicated OSFair Zenodo Community. All contributions, along with their respective files (presentation, poster, and recording), can be found here. Conference photos are also available here and shared under a CC BY 4.0 license, please feel free to use them, crediting CERN and the photographer. Together, these resources ensure that the knowledge and inspiration generated in Geneva continue to circulate widely. OSFair 2025 showed that when forces come together, change is not only possible but unstoppable. The collaborations born at CERN will continue to shape infrastructures, policies, and practices, keeping Open Science moving forward for years to come.

The next edition of the Open Science Fair will return in 2027, ready to spark new collaborations, ideas, and the next wave of Open Science.