ABSTRACT

This contribution focuses on the framework of human and fundamental rights related to science: on the one hand, scientific research has been heavily influenced by the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and digital technologies; on the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic has made clear the need to strengthen the Right to Science, ensuring its effective enforcement and the maximum sharing of scientific knowledge. The aim of this contribution is to participate in the debate on the Right to Science by proposing a configuration of a Right to Open Science. It is suggested, therefore, to interpret European policies on Open Science as an explicit embodiment of the human Right to Science. This approach should be adopted as a benchmark in the forthcoming national and local implementations of European policies on Open Science, in order to increasingly guarantee the maximum sharing of knowledge and, at the same time, the protection of the rights and freedoms of the individuals involved.

INTRODUCTION

In the current era of the digital revolution, the impact of new technologies and digital information and communication technologies (ICTs) on scientific research is readily apparent. Technologies such as cloud computing, highperformance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) are no longer exceptions in the world of scientific research; in many fields, they have become essential elements of scientific projects. This radical transformation, triggered by digital technologies, in the field of scientific research is represented by the emergence of the Open Science paradigm. Open Science can be generally defined as the new way of conducting science, which aims to foster the openness of every phase of the scientific research process from data collection to the dissemination of scientific results, within the scientific community, and externally, towards society. In recent years, European institutions and Member States have taken a clear stance in supporting and promoting the Open Science paradigm in Europe: projects such as the European Open Science Cloud confi rm the relevance of this matter at European level.