Evaluation study on excellent science in the European framework programmes for research and innovation: Phase 2 : EOSC partnership report

European Partnerships are a key implementation tool of Horizon Europe, helping to avoid the duplication of investments and reducing the fragmentation of research and innovation (R&I) landscape. The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) aims to develop a federated multidisciplinary Open Science environment in which European researchers can publish, find and reuse (FAIR) data and services. The EOSC co-programmed European Partnership was launched in 2021 with a Memorandum of Understanding between the EU, represented by the European Commission, and the EOSC Association (EOSC-A), which represents the voice of the research community. This report follows the outline for short Partnership Reports in the studies for the interim evaluation of Horizon Europe. The purpose of this evaluation is to provide the European Commission (EC) with an interim assessment of the EOSC Partnership. The data collection and analysis activities carried out for this report include desk research and 15 interviews, mainly carried out in May and June 2023. Information from the 2023 survey for the Biennial Monitoring Report (BMR) has also been included. The scope of the evaluation covers the period from the beginning of Horizon Europe, and includes discussion on the future of the Partnership under the next Framework Programme, after 2027.