The Coimbra Group joins the steering group of the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information
11 May 2026
Two years after becoming the first European university network to sign the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information, the Coimbra Group has joined the initiative’s Steering Group. It will be represented on this body by the Vice-Chair of its Executive Board, Professor Beatrix Busse (University of Cologne), as main representative, and Executive Board member, Professor Nicoleta Popa (Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași), as alternate representative, both members of the Coimbra Group Executive Board.
Since its launch in 2024, the Barcelona Declaration has gathered significant momentum, bringing together an expanding community of universities, research organisations, funders, governments and other key actors around a shared agenda. The initiative has put effective governance and working structures in place. It has convened successful high‑level events, resulting in the adoption of a clear roadmap. At the same time, it is expanding its reach beyond Europe and strengthening alignment with related initiatives.
Several Coimbra Group member universities are signatories to the Declaration and actively contribute to its working groups. The Coimbra Group Brussels Office also participates in the working group on sustaining infrastructures. Through its involvement in the Steering Group, the Coimbra Group seeks to step up its engagement in the next phase of the Declaration, with a focus on driving system‑level and behavioural change in open research information practices.
“We approach this responsibility with both conviction and a realistic understanding of the challenges and opportunities ahead. Drawing on the Coimbra Group’s long‑standing engagement with the university sector and with policymakers, we are keen to help guide the Barcelona Declaration through its next phase. Working alongside fellow members of the Steering Group, our ambition is to help translate our shared principles into structural and cultural change. This ambition speaks directly to the expectations of the Declaration signatories. Recent global developments only reinforce the urgency and significance of the transition towards a more open, transparent and responsible research information landscape” say Beatrix Busse and Nicoleta Popa.
To know more about the Barcelona Declaration: https://barcelona-declaration.org/.
Organisations that wish to sign the Barcelona Declaration are welcome to reach out to contact@barcelona-declaration.org.
