In 2016 the European Commission launched the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) to provide a virtual environment with open and seamless access to services for storage, management, analysis and re-use of research data, across borders and disciplines.
The vision for EOSC is to put in place a system in Europe to find and access data and services for research and innovation. This is to help researchers store, share, process, analyse and reuse FAIR research outputs within and across disciplines and borders.
The deployment of a network between data repositories and services will be instrumental for Open Science to progress in Europe. For this, the EOSC Federation of nodes is being created.
"The EOSC Federation will consist of multiple EOSC Nodes that are interconnected and can collaborate to share and manage scientific data, knowledge, and resources within and across thematic and geographical research communities. The EOSC Nodes will be entry points for users to the EOSC Federation, with each node offering its own and possibly third-party services, including data reposing and accessing services."
Source: the EOSC website
The Build-up phase
In March 2025 the build-up phase of the EOSC Federation kicked off with a workshop in Brussels, followed by the publication of the first edition of the EOSC Federation Handbook.
The EOSC Federation will consist of multiple EOSC Nodes that are interconnected and can collaborate to share and manage scientific data, knowledge, and resources within and across thematic and geographical research communities. The EOSC Nodes will be entry points for users to the EOSC Federation, with each node offering its own and possibly third-party services, including data reposing and accessing services.
The ongoing build-up phase is the first phase of development of an operational EOSC Federation. The EOSC Federation Build-up Group includes representatives from the EOSC Tripartite Group (EOSC-A, European Commission and EOSC Steering Board), the EOSC EU Node, and each of the 13 candidate EOSC Nodes invited to contribute to the first wave deployment of the EOSC Federation.
Blue-Cloud contribution to the EOSC Federation
Blue-Cloud 2026 has been selected to take part in the initial discussions for the development of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) Federation. This initiative, led by the EOSC Tripartite Governance—which includes the EOSC Association, the European Commission, and Member States and Associated Countries—is focused on establishing an operational network of federated nodes by 2025.
On 26–27 June 2025, representatives from 33 Horizon Europe-funded projects gathered in Brussels for the fourth EOSC Coordination Meeting. Pasquale Pagano (CNR ISTI), Scientific Coordinator of Blue-Cloud2026, participated in the session where he presented the evolution of Blue-Cloud within the wider EOSC landscape. His presentation revisited the initial challenge: navigating a highly fragmented European marine data landscape, with multiple formats, platforms, and access methods. The pilot phase demonstrated the feasibility of a thematic cloud by developing five real-world demonstrators, giving researchers access to integrated data sources through hands-on Virtual Laboratories focused on fisheries, aquaculture, and environmental monitoring.
Blue-Cloud2026 embraced its role as a “Node Builder”, aligning with the EOSC Federation Handbook. This required a strategic shift—from developing demonstrators to fully integrating into the EOSC ecosystem, working on FAIR principles, open standards, and interoperability, while actively engaging in governance and policy discussions.
Blue-Cloud continues to play a unique role in the marine data space, not as a parallel infrastructure, but as a node part of the EOSC Federation. It supports access to and integration of data and services from key EU assets, enabling researchers to discover harmonised data, launch virtual labs, and develop outputs that can feed into infrastructures like EDITO. Through this approach, Blue-Cloud acts as an incubator for scientific innovation and operational uptake.
