Co-created by the research community, the new Declaration defines the guiding principles, vision, and shared commitments for responsible open science — encouraging organisations to actively engage with them.
The Declaration for Open Science and Research 2025–2030 was published at the Open Science Summer Conference on 26 May 2025. Updated to meet the needs of its time, the declaration addresses academic freedom, research security, and responsible international cooperation. It now calls on the research community to embrace responsible openness together.
"Responsible openness is a form of contingency safeguarding for science and research, aimed at ensuring their continuity in various disruption and emergency situations as well as under changing conditions in the long term", says Henriikka Mustajoki, Secretary General for Open Science at the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies.
Values and principles constant in a changing world
The Declaration for Open Science and Research 2025–2030 is the result of collaborative development within the research community. Experts working under the national Open Science Coordination and key stakeholders across the research sector contributed to its drafting. The declaration was officially adopted by the National Open Science and Research Steering Group on 24 March 2025. With the updated declaration, Finland reaffirms its role as an international forerunner in open science – together and responsibly.
“Openness is a fundamental value choice,” says Kaisa Miettinen, Chair of the National Open Science and Research Steering Group. “It enhances the reliability of research through transparency and reproducibility – and thereby increases impact and the potential for reuse and further development. In this way, it also fosters interdisciplinary collaboration.” At the same time, openness brings responsibility. As such, we adhere to the European Commission’s principle of ‘as open as possible, as closed as necessary.’’
The components of the new declaration. A new element is the section on guiding principles that promote openness. Photo: Declaration for Open Science and Research 2050–2030.
A new section on guiding principles for promoting open science has been added to the declaration. In addition, the vision and mission have been consolidated into a unified vision for responsible openness. At the 2025 Science Forum, the former Chair of the Open Science Steering Group, Vice Rector for Research at the University of Oulu, Taina Pihlajaniemi, remarked that 'values and principles can remain constant in a changing world.'"
The declaration encourages research organisations to embrace shared principles while respecting their unique contexts
By signing the declaration, organisations commit to its vision, principles and the goals of four national policies for open science – while taking into account their own specific characteristics. The declaration encourages all key stakeholders and networks within Finland’s research community to join in. Organisational signatories will be invited starting in autumn 2025, while individuals can sign the declaration from its publication day.
Through shared commitment, members of Finland’s research community become part of a global, dialogue-driven effort to promote openness. The declaration highlights the importance of practical action and the active agency of the community to drive change.
>> See the new Declaration for Open Science and Research in edition-fi
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