Opportunities and Challenges of Open Science in the Czech Republic
The NCC network brings together national centres from more than twenty European countries that support the development of a non-profit model of scholarly communication.
A New Shield for Diamond Open Access in Europe: Launching the AEGIS-OA Project
On 19 March 2026, a new European project, AEGIS‑OA (Activate European Guidance and Incentives for Sustainable Open Access publishing), was officially launched in Brussels. Funded through the Horizon Europe programme, the project aims to strengthen a transparent, sustainable, and high‑quality ecosystem for Diamond Open Access in Europe, primarily by fostering collaboration within the European Diamond Capacity Hub (EDCH) and by expanding its services.
The AEGIS‑OA project builds on the results of earlier initiatives such as DIAMAS, CRAFT‑OA a PALOMERA, and extends the current focus of the EDCH from journals to also include books in the Diamond OA model. Its key pillars include the development of quality standards (DOAS), professional training for publishers and technical infrastructure providers, and the establishment and coordination of a network of National Capacity Centres for Diamond Open Access across European countries.
Why this matters for the Czech Republic
For the Czech National Centre for Diamond Open Access, AEGIS‑OA is of major importance: because the creation and interconnection of a European network of National Capacity Centres is one of the project’s central goals, the Czech centre will develop in close cooperation with other European partners, sharing expertise, professional training, and technological tools, and actively contributing to the shaping of common European standards for Diamond OA.
This article is based on A New Shield for Diamond Open Access in Europe: Launching the AEGIS-OA Project from the EDCH website.
