Open Research Europe: The Next Milestone in Open Access Publishing

The open access publication platform Open Research Europe (ORE) will be open to researchers from numerous European countries starting in the fall of 2026. The CERN-led open access platform enables free publishing and is supported by an international consortium, including the FWF, as well as the European Commission. The aim is to make research findings freely accessible and to strengthen cooperation.

March 26, 2026

ORE offers researchers a no-fee opportunity to publish in an open access format. © Open Research Europe

The Open Research Europe (ORE) publication platform aims to make research results open access available without fees. Previously reserved exclusively for researchers funded by the European Commission, it is now being developed into a collectively funded platform open to a broader group of researchers. Led by CERN and with a joint budget of almost €17 million for the 2026-2031 period, ORE will enable researchers from participating countries to publish open access free of charge. The ORE consortium currently includes members from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Furthermore, the European Commission is involved in developing the platform further and provides financial support.

“The further development of Open Research Europe is an important step towards an open, fair, and sustainable research publication system,” says FWF President Christof Gattringer. “As a research funding agency, we see it as our responsibility to support conditions that ensure research quality, strengthen transparency, and give all researchers and the public equal access to scientific knowledge.”

Milestone for transparent and fair publishing

Open Research Europe sees itself as a publicly financed alternative to commercial publication models, and refrains from charging publication-based fees. The publication platform works with an open peer review process, increasing the transparency of the publication process. In future, publishing on ORE will be free of charge for all researchers from Austria, which will improve open access to research results. Open access publishing is crucial for the reproducibility and integrity of scientific work and facilitates timely, transparent exchange within the research community. Technologically, ORE is based on the open-source software “Open Journal Systems (OJS)” to ensure a long-term and sustainable infrastructure.

Cooperation for more open access

Open Research Europe is a high-quality, no-fee open access publishing platform that will be open to all researchers from the participating countries. Through international cooperation and a joint non-commercial infrastructure, ORE is positioning itself as a forward-looking alternative in the scientific publishing system. The further development of ORE emphasizes the importance of joint European initiatives for open, transparent, and sustainable research. Researchers and institutions are invited to actively shape this initiative and to make use of the no-fee publication infrastructure starting in the fall of 2026. Further details and the exact launch date will be announced soon.