Open access publisher Frontiers is supporting the Open Access Days 2023 conference taking place in Berlin 27-29 September 2023. The focus of this year’s event, entitled “Shaping Visions,” is on open and free access to research results, scientific literature, and other materials on the internet. 

Organized by the Open-Access-Büro Berlin and hosted by the Freie Universität Berlin, Open Access Days 2023 is an annual central conference on open access (OA) in German-speaking countries. It is made up of a diverse program with lectures, workshops, a panel discussion, poster sessions, and a tool marketplace. Together, these will serve as a background for further discussions on topics such as monitoring costs and assessing the ways for an equitable transformation to open access and open science. 

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities, an international statement on open access and access to knowledge. First published in 2003, the Berlin Declaration has become an integral part of scientific practice, defining open access and outlining actions needed to foster the open access paradigm. During the event, three keynote speakers will shed light on the transformation to open access from different perspectives: 

• Dr Henriette Rösch, head of the collection development and metadata department at the Leipzig University Library. For many years she has been dealing with the upheavals and further development of libraries’ acquisition and reference work in the wake of the open access transformation and will look at the organizational development of libraries in her keynote speech.  

• Dr Vera Meyer, head of the chair of molecular and applied microbiology at the Technical University of Berlin since 2021. Her inter- and transdisciplinary research projects combine natural and engineering sciences with art, design and architecture and create bio-based scenarios for possible living and living environments of the future. In her keynote, Vera Meyer looks at how open research between science, art and society can accelerate transformation processes. 

• Dr Amrei Bahr is a junior professor of philosophy of technology and information at the University of Stuttgart and, among other things, researches the ethics of scientific publishing. As a co-initiator of the protest campaign against precarious working conditions in science “#IchBinHanna,” she is committed to fair access opportunities in science. In her keynote speech, she will talk about how access restrictions harm science. 

As a fully open access publisher, Frontiers’ mission is to make science open so scientists can collaborate better and innovate faster to deliver solutions that enable healthy lives on a healthy planet. Open access to results of publicly funded research is of great value, offering significant social and economic benefits, while collaboration across diverse backgrounds can further our collective knowledge. In line with its researcher-centric approach, Frontiers supports the researchers behind this knowledge at every step of their career, including early career researchers, and works to offer them opportunities and resources to succeed. As part of its sponsorship of the Open Access Days 2023, Frontiers was able to provide several free tickets to early career researchers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, encouraging further cooperation and exchange of information. 

In attendance and commenting on the event, Frontiers’ head of public affairs and advocacy for Europe Dr Anke Beck said, “The Open Access Days conference in Germany plays a vital role in advancing the global discussion on the implementation of a fully Open Access environment. It serves as a catalyst for collaboration, policy advocacy, knowledge exchange, and the promotion of OA principles, ultimately contributing to the ongoing transformation of scholarly communication toward openness and accessibility. Sponsoring the conference was yet another opportunity to engage with our community, including early career researchers, and reaffirm our commitment to making science open.” 

The head of the Open-Access-Büro Berlin, Dr Maxi Kindling, summarized: “The Open Access Days 2023 promise to be an inspiring and groundbreaking event that can sharpen discussions about open access transformations on several levels and focus on visions for the transformation and its design, true to the conference motto ‘Shaping visions’ takes.” 

About Frontiers     

Frontiers is the 3rd most-cited and 6th largest research publisher. We publish groundbreaking discoveries by the world’s top experts. Scientists empower society and our mission is to accelerate scientific discovery by making science open. We place the researcher at the center of everything we do and enable the research community to develop the solutions we need to live healthy lives on a healthy planet. Featuring custom-built technology, artificial intelligence, and rigorous quality standards, our research articles have been viewed more than 2.1 billion times, reflecting the power of research that is open for all.