Unpacking the Possibilities of Intellectual Properties for Open Science

Unpacking the Possibilities of Intellectual Properties for Open Science 20/11/2025 Authors in alphabetical order: Alavi, Marie; Koch, Pascal; MacDonald, Laura; Miller, Katharina; Nilsonne, Gustav; Priess Buchheit, Julia; Scherer, Jörg; Skoric, Lea; Stoev, Pavel; Vrkic, Dina; Wyber, Stephen; Yovcheva, Nikol; Yucebalkan, Cemre; Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the EU nor the EC can be held responsible for them. List of abbreviations, terms and acronyms 2 Executive summary 3 1. Excellence 5 1.1 Objectives 6 1.2 Coordination and/or support measures and methodology 9 1.2.1 Concepts, models, assumptions 9 1.2.2 Methodology 10 1.2.3 Commitment to Open Science and IP management 14 1.2.4 Commitment to diversity: gender and early career perspectives 15 1.2.5 Commitment to research integrity and a low carbon footprint 15 2. Impact 17 2.1 IP4OS’ pathways towards impact 17 2.1.1 IP4OS results 17 2.1.2 IP4OS outcomes 17 2.1.2.1 IP4OS effective impact (also beyond the scope and duration of the project) 18 2.1.2.2 Stakeholders networks that ensure IP4OS impacts 20 2.1.3 Critical risks and barriers to impact 21 2.1.4 Scale & Significance of Outcomes and Impacts 21 2.2 Measures to maximise impact - Dissemination, exploitation, and communication 22 2.2.1 Plan for Dissemination and Exploitation of results, including Communication activities (PDEC) 22 2.2.2 Plan for Communication activities 23 2.2.3 Dissemination 24 2.2.4 Exploitation 24 2.3 Summary 26 3. References 28 2 List of abbreviations, terms and acronyms BPM Code of Practice CoP DMP ECoC ERA FAIR (principles) HEI Best Practice Manual (IP4OS’ Synergy Framework) The Code of Practice on the Management of Intellectual Assets for Knowledge Valorisation Community of Practice Data Management Plan The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity European Research Area Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Re-usable (principles) Higher Education Institution IA IEAB IP IPR OS RPO SME Synergy Core Curriculum Synergy Framework WP Intellectual Assets International Expert Advisory Board Intellectual Properties Intellectual Property Rights Open Science Research Performing Organisation Small and medium-sized enterprise A learning program for multi-professional teams Best Practice Manual for Agile Knowledge Valorisation Work package Executive summary Advancing knowledge valorisation to enable transdisciplinary and cross-sector knowledge circulation is key to upgrading the European research landscape, resulting in economic, digital, ecological, and social benefits. That is why IP4OS advocates for a concerted Intellectual Property (IP) and Open Science (OS) approach: A complementary and supportive link between agile and fitting IP tools and the sharing of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Re-usable (FAIR) research outputs (data, results, codes, etc.). IP4OS's overall goal is to empower multi-professionals and their organisations with awareness, knowledge, skills, and advocacy to valorise FAIR research outputs with effectively fitting IP tools. Firstly, IP4OS will publish a sound Synergy Framework - a Best Practice Manual mapping the relationship between IP and OS, providing recommendations for best practices. Secondly, IP4OS raises 50% more awareness in the Community of Practice (CoP) by informing about advocates, facts and figures on IP tools that support OS practices. Furthermore, IP4OS will reach 300 trained professionals and additionally (at least) 27 multipliers for multi-professional teams from all European countries via several easy-to-use and sustainable educational resources using the Synergy Framework and the Synergy Core Curriculum. Through all of IP4OS’s activities, the project 3 builds a new CoP for IP management to support OS and addresses 15 specific professions in training who are actors, intermediaries, educators, and learners in the R&I landscape. With this approach, IP4OS is fully in line with the objectives and impact expectations of the call, namely (1) to identify the complementary synergy of IP management and OS practices by building on existing resources and practices as well as through a co-creative process of a Multi-Professional Community of Practice including experts and actors of the R&I landscape and (2) to anchor these findings in practice-oriented learning resources and bring them into practice through specialised courses to a broad community. With this process, IP4OS follows the call's core objective: the cross-over empowerment of multi-professionals and their organisations to enrich their IP practices with useful OS principles, thus emphasising value creation and utilisation in IP management and increasing European Research Area’s (ERA) benefits. IP4OS comprises a consortium with complementary expertise from IP management, knowledge transfer and education, research, libraries, and experts from small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) covering legal aspects and dissemination activities. The International Expert Advisory Board (IEAB) comprises renowned representatives from IP and industry, OS, reproducibility, training, knowledge transfer, and entrepreneurship to support the consortium. IP4OS can meet its ambitious goals due to its consortium’s and advisory board’s IP and OS experience, their already established crossover networks and infrastructures, and outstanding expertise. 4 1. Excellence Knowledge valorisation is key to solving economic and societal challenges and proceeding successfully with Europe's twin (digital and green) transition. Enhanced data access and sharing is estimated to bring social and economic benefits of 1% and 2.5% of gross domestic product in the public and private sectors (1). Furthermore, effective knowledge valorisation through agile sharing of Intellectual Assets (IA) and collaborations in research – as opposed to insufficient or difficult access to IA or retention due to excessively narrow protection through the application of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) – increase the dissemination and thus the potential to valorise FAIR research outputs, support interaction among actors, sectors and countries and the market uptake of innovative solutions and thereby strengthen economic and social impact (3, 4). OS reveals new possibilities for value creation and utilisation in IP management (5) by arguing for a gradual fit-for-purpose openness of IA while maintaining adequate IP protection and strengthening the circulation of knowledge. In the past 30 years, Europe has developed greatly in IP management and moved towards OS practices. Many Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), SMEs and other public and private Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) as the key contributors to European research excellence benefit from highly trained knowledge transfer teams, open access experts, IP managers, OS ambassadors, etc., in charge of fostering IP management and/or OS practices. Also, the new Code of Practice on the management of intellectual assets for knowledge valorisation in the European Research Area (2) (in the following called Code of Practice) leads academia and industry into the new future by highlighting the power of knowledge valorisation, taking into account a concerted IP with OS. However, in practice, we lack appropriate methods and infrastructures to unpack complementary and supportive possibilities by relating IP management and OS practices (3). Many professionals and researchers lack awareness, knowledge, or application skills (4, 5, 6) in either one of these fields, do not acknowledge that both can complement each other and sometimes they are even assumed as being incompatible (7). They refer to examples of incompatibility, such as the pair of OS and trade secrecy, which certainly exist. On top of that, efforts to foster knowledge valorisation in Europe still predominantly target either IP or OS; too few advocate for and many overlook the possibilities and importance of a concerted approach with potential (such as copyright and open source or regulatory exclusivities and open dissemination) to 5 Box 1. IP4OS’ key concepts and mission statements Intellectual Property (IP) “means the result of intellectual activities that is eligible for legal protection and includes inventions, literary and artistic works, symbols, names, images, and designs” (2). IP4OS concentrates especially on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) compatible with OS such as copyright, open-source licensing, regulatory exclusivity, etc. Intellectual Asset (IA) “means any result or products generated by any R&I activities” (such as IPR, data, know-how, etc.) (2). Knowledge Valorisation turns research outputs (results, data, software, code etc.) into sustainable products and solutions - economic or environmental benefits, social progress or improved policy making. Open Science (OS) enhances scientific knowledge production and dissemination through “as open as possible, as closed as necessary” access to scientific and innovation outputs, enabling reuse for discovery and validation, cumulative knowledge building, and critical appraisal. Openness allows the replicability of research data, methods and results and thus strengthens the reliability and integrity of research. This promotes the valorisation of knowledge and innovation, interdisciplinarity, internationality, and the public and funders' trust in science. “Open” in IP4OS: “Open” does not mean ignoring IPR or free commercial use. “Open” is primarily about increasing access to FAIR research outputs, thus increasing innovation capacity. “As open as possible, as closed as necessary”: This principle is a key tenet of FAIR, advocating for sharing knowledge without unrequired or inappropriate barriers. The FAIR-principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Re-usable) support research outputs to be machine actionable and therefore foster sharing, redistribution, and reproduction. achieve a higher knowledge valorisation rate (2). The European Commission recommends awareness raising and the development of effective training programmes which are ideally openly accessible and provide a wide range of contexts, skills, and knowledge for various R&I actors (2, 4). To ensure capacity building in academia and industry, IP4OS aims to exploit the potential of OS practices through dynamic IP management. By DESCRIBING a community-based best practice manual for Agile Management of Knowledge Valorisation in Research, IP4OS starts a European-wide and cross-sector enabling process. IP4OS will EMPOWER multi-professional teams (knowledge transfer teams, data managers, IP managers, OS ambassadors, etc.) with awareness, knowledge, skills and advocacy to unpack the possibilities of IP for OS in their organisations. These multi-professionals learn how to unpack the possibilities by INFORMING and TRAINING. The multi-professional CoP focus of IP4OS will activate the existing IP and OS resources across Europe and various sectors and actors. Furthermore, the best practice manual - Synergy Framework - and its profound dissemination via the Synergy Core Curriculum will support the most promising approaches for going open while applying fitting IPR to increase access to FAIR research outputs so that innovations and innovation capacity will increase (8) step by step in all European countries. Box 2. IP4OS’ key concepts and mission statements The concerted IP-OS approach follows the “as open as possible, as closed as necessary” principle, distinguishes between fitting (such as open-source licensing) and non-fitting tools (trade secrets) and enables adequate IP management to support researchers’ intellectual property assets if necessary. The Best Practice Manual for Agile Management of Knowledge Valorisation in Research will be the Synergy Framework. It follows the Code of Practice and integrates agile IP management principles for intellectual property assets while enabling OS practices. It underpins that IP can support OS, and outputs can be “as open as possible” while IPR remain intact. Thus, it will outline best practices and particular tools (licensing, regulatory exclusivity, etc.) supporting openness concerning the different steps of the research cycle. IP4OS’ multi-professional teams blend expertise and skills from various professions to enhance the management and utilisation of IP. These teams have the knowledge and skills to support researchers' decisions in each step of their research cycle. Each multi-professional team has one OS ambassador to steer the team towards FAIR outputs. They initiate by discussing the researcher’s (innovation or business) goal and offer help to make the best fitting decisions: They describe the relevance and type of IP useful in reaching the researcher’s goal. If IP is deemed essential, they subsequently discuss appropriate forms of intellectual property assets. 1.1 Objectives The main aim of IP4OS is social innovation: to empower multi-professional teams and their organisations in each of the 27 European countries with knowledge, skills, awareness and advocacy to boost the valorisation of scientific knowledge in the ERA to a new level by promoting a concerted approach to agile IP management and OS practices (see Fig. 2). This approach is based on aligning IP and OS, adhering to the "as open as possible, as closed as necessary" principle. Before researchers make their research outputs FAIR, professionals consider how each research output should be shared and how to provide the researcher (inventor and innovator) with the best fitting IPR. To accomplish this aim, IP4OS has four objectives. O1: The DESCRIPTION of a concerted IP-OS approach (M 1-12) Conceptualising the Synergy Framework – a Best Practice Manual for knowledge valorisation in the ERA (see WP2) 6 O1 aims to comprehensively understand the current landscape and relationships between IP management and OS practices and create best practice recommendations for where and how IP management can support OS practices and what IP tools hinder OS (such as trade secrets and patents until they are published). The consortium will consider group-specific needs and practices from the Code of Practice, extensive cross-sector interdependencies and expert recommendations from IP and OS arenas. The end product will be the Synergy Framework – a best practice manual - as a supplement to the Code of Practice describing the “how” via the Knowledge Valorisation Platform. Relation to the call 2024-ERA-01-07, the Code of Practice, and the ERA: IP4OS fulfills the expectations of the call and the code of practice on knowledge valorisation and the ERA priority area: Deepening a truly functioning internal market for knowledge. Engaging different actors and sectors from academia, libraries, knowledge transfer, industry, society and organisations such as European Patent Office (EPO), European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA), and Reproducibility Networks, IP4OS reaches a (regionally and professionally widespread) co-creation community to support a profound analysis for beneficial synergies of IP and OS based on existing practices (such as CONSCIENCE), resources (such as Intermediate IP Knowledge) and frameworks (such as the Code of Practice). O2: INFORMATION towards a concerted IP-OS approach (M 1-23) Conducting a Europe-wide Role Model Campaign (see WP3) O2 aims to launch a comprehensive, gender-balanced IP4OS Role Model Campaign, leveraging multimedia and cross-platform tools aimed at promoting agile IP management and its advantages for OS, specifically within the context of the European Union. This campaign (T3.1), an extension of the European Union's existing campaigns, will utilise various mediums like videos, blog posts, roadmaps, checklists, posters, flyers, and social media carousels (T3.5). The activities ensure broad outreach, and build a Community of Practice through events, collaborations, joint knowledge, and advocates for relevant policies (T3.2-3.4). Relation to the call 2024-ERA-01-07 and ERA: To share information through an informal mode is an effective vehicle to raise awareness across sectors and build a community among R&I stakeholders, including citizens, and (by using gender sensitive messages) to promote gender equality and inclusiveness and thus to contribute specifically to ERA actions 5 and 7. Furthermore, building on existing resources is a promising way to strengthen the campaign's effectiveness. O3: TRAINING materials on concerted IP-OS approach (within 14 months) Using IP4OS Training Materials and their sustainable dissemination (see WP3, WP4, WP5) O3 is targeted towards the design (under WP4) and deployment (under WP3/4/5) of an all-encompassing, customised learner-centred training regimen for various stakeholders and sectors anchored on the Synergy Framework (WP2). These training materials support multi-professional teams to achieve synergies between IP management and OS practices and optimally utilise research assets. A didactic outline of the training material will function as a pan-European Synergy Core Curriculum, aiding the execution of HEIs' and RPOs' internal training and the IP4OS training centre. Further, IP4OS is committed to ensuring 7 the long-term continuation of training, publicity and dissemination via the European IP Helpdesk and IP4OS Legacy Booklet (Open Educational Resources), even post-project, thereby securing the enduring impact of the project outcomes. Relation to the call 2024-ERA-01-07 and ERA: With the IP4OS Training, the consortium fosters "fit-for-purpose" IP management for FAIR research outputs supporting adequate openness and sharing (access to excellence). Through continuous collaboration with multi-professional teams during the development, training and dissemination, IP4OS creates a lively, up-to-date and sustainable programme to foster EU-wide excellence. Thus, the consortium empowers R&I actors to become multipliers and "implement OS as a modus operandi". Thanks to the consortium’s and IEAB’s far-reaching networks, IP4OS has widespread access to institutions to implement the training and boost the ERA priority area 1: Deepening a truly functioning internal market for knowledge. O4: EMPOWER multi-professional teams to use a concerted IP-OS approach (M12 - 24) IP4OS training centre to anchor Knowledge Valorisation in Research in HEIs and RPOs (WP4, WP5) O4 designs and gives access to training and executes the Training Centre for (A) IP Experts and Intermediaries; (B) Experts Performing Research; (C) Trainers teaching IP in/and Research. IP4OS’s core goal is to incorporate the Synergy Core Curriculum within European organisations. The training will be developed uniquely for multi-professional teams to enrich knowledge, improve skills, and boost awareness and advocacy of the concerted IP and OS approach outlined in the Synergy Framework. IP4OS will train multipliers (train-the-trainer) in all 27 EU countries and additionally train 300 professionals on agile IP management for FAIR research outputs. To reach that goal, the IP4OS training centre will involve multiple professionals from the identified target groups (see table 3), promoting a dynamic, short-cycle, and iterative learning process with a constant exchange of ideas and reflections. Relation to the call 2024-ERA-01-07 and ERA: IP4OS multi-professional, learner-centred approach addresses modern research and knowledge-sharing needs. Participatory training fosters peer exchange on current practices and tools, encouraging public and private sector researchers to adopt (a deliberately chosen) access level to research assets. The result is effective knowledge dissemination, promotion of research careers, and the advancement of new ones (ERA actions 1, 4 and 7). Upholding gender equality 8 and inclusion, the project encourages international market partnerships and prioritises research and innovation investment (ERA action 5 and 9). By enhancing comprehension of IP management with OS practice, IP4OS aims to maintain public trust in research, aligning with Europe's objectives for greater transparency and integrity in scientific research. In a nutshell, IP4OS will 1. Describe a concerted IP-OS approach in the Synergy Framework with best practices on agile IP management to support OS practices. 2. Inform the CoP about the Synergy Framework with a Role-Model Campaign using advocates, facts and figures. 3. Train multi-professionals in agile IP Management with the Synergy Core Curriculum. 4. Empower multi-professional teams in HEIs and RPOs to use agile IP management to support OS. IP4OS will build a CoP by interacting with the different stakeholders in IP and OS. In particular, training and empowerment tasks target 15 professions divided into (A) IP experts and intermediaries, (B) experts performing research, and (C) trainers teaching IP in/and research. 1.2 Coordination and/or support measures and methodology 1.2.1 Concepts, models, assumptions IP4OS builds upon two key concepts: (1) Multi-professional teams at HEIs and RPOs support researchers and blend expertise and skills from various professions to enhance the management and utilisation of IP. By going through IP4OS training, these teams acquire the knowledge and skills they need in each step of their research cycle. They work on the principle of optimal knowledge valorisation rather than on the preconceived notion of IPR. Each multi-professional team appoints one OS ambassador to steer the team towards the principle of “as open as possible, as closed as necessary”. These teams know best which tools support FAIR outputs and OS practices and initiate the process by discussing the (innovation or business) goal researchers aim for. They assess whether researchers should declare their FAIR outputs as IP. If IP is deemed essential, they assess all potential barriers of sharing research outputs thoroughly and apply for the best-fitting IPR, particularly considering collaboration, transfer and licensing agreements with third parties. With their acquired skills, multiprofessional teams can exploit the synergy between IP and OS, strategizing tools such as broad rather than exclusive 9 1.2.5 Commitment to research integrity and a low carbon footprint To ensure compliance with research integrity, the consortium agrees to adopt the following strategies: 1. Promote Transparency - By forwarding OS, IP4OS is already advocating for a more transparent and accessible research environment. Strengthening this practice can lead to more reliable and verifiable results. 2. Enable Reproducibility - The promises of OS also include the ability for results to be reproducible and validatable by other researchers. IP4OS will further promote this by providing accessible and comprehensive documentation of task procedures and outcomes (see commitment to OS above). 3. Apply Intellectual Property Rights - Even in an open research environment, licensing research outputs and applying rights are paramount. IP4OS applies the multi-professional agile IP management strategy inside IP4OS regularly (see T.1.3). 4. Adhere to Legal, Ethical and Scientific Standards - IP4OS adheres to the Code of Practice and the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. It is equipped to ensure all research and knowledge transfer activities comply with the relevant laws, ethical guidelines, and policies as well as standards of responsible conduct of research (expertise of the law firm, partner MIK and the projects research integrity and ethics ambassadors CAU, KI). In keeping with the European digital and green transition, IP4OS actively contributes to reducing carbon footprint, promoting research integrity, and fostering innovation. To reduce carbon footprint IP4OS will: Leverage digital platforms for dialogues, workshops, and training (WP2, WP3, WP4), eliminating the need for extensive travel and reducing carbon emissions (see T1.3). All the materials are disseminated online through multimedia and cross-platform tools, reducing physical resource use. IP4OS Synergy Core Curriculum will include tips on sustainable educational practices such as sustainable learning spaces, OERs and digital learning that align with the green transition Europe is working towards. 16 2. Impact IP4OS is an outstanding project to empower multi-professionals and their HEIs and RPOs in the ERA. The mission is a social innovation: to provide them with the necessary awareness, knowledge, skills, and advocacy to valorise FAIR research outputs effectively in Europe. 2.1 IP4OS’ pathways towards impact The EU has recognised that action is needed to enhance access to FAIR research outputs, as many of our daily needs, interactions and possible impacts on innovation, competition, job creation and other impacts for social and economic benefits depend on (re)use of research outputs. At the same time, ERA recognises meaningful protection to support reasonable needs such as competition, financial incentives and personal engagement with a product or service from research outputs (3). 2.1.1 IP4OS results The project’s endeavours revolve around the Synergy Framework, a best-practice manual for a concerted IP-OS approach in Europe. The consortium will explain and refer to the CoP, identify key gaps and challenges in managing IP while following the principle “as open as possible, as closed as necessary”, and describe various best practices and fitting and non-fitting IP tools. Furthermore, IP4OS will develop the Synergy Core Curriculum and a multi-professional Training Centre. Both will provide comprehensive and curated knowledge about the Synergy Framework across Europe. The "Training Centre" will further transfer the Synergy Framework into actionable insights for those managing IP in multi-professional teams. The Role Model Campaign will build upon the successfully conducted campaigns by the European Commission, EPO, EUIPO, and the EISMEA. WP3 aims to enhance community engagement and awareness around IP in OS through digital platforms, events, and collaborative initiatives. It involves creating a feature-rich website for resources and discussions, hosting webinars and awareness-raising events on IP topics, fostering collaborations for solving real-world problems with OS principles, and designing campaign materials to communicate effectively with various stakeholders. In particular, IP4OS’ efforts include offering all support material (Synergy Framework, Synergy Curriculum, Campaign and learning material) as IP4OS Open Educational Resources in the Legacy Booklet, which can be adapted and versioned to suit different languages, skills, and professions. IP4OS will publish all material on the Knowledge Valorisation Platform and other repositories for free, easy and sustainable (even post-project) access. Tasks across WPs engage with various stakeholders and build a Community of Practice. 2.1.2 IP4OS outcomes The overall aim of IP4OS is to empower multi-professionals and their organisations with awareness, knowledge, skills and advocacy to valorise FAIR research outputs in the ERA effectively. The Synergy Framework and Curriculum describe how adequate IP management enables and boosts OS and how both OS practices and IP management are complementary in achieving better dissemination and valorisation of knowledge. The IP4OS Role-Model Campaign builds on already established campaigns. Together with the Training Centre, they deliver comprehensive materials encompassing the management of IP assets and promote open access to scientific publications. The multi-professional training covers diverse facets of IP 17 management and highlights how agile management can propel OS forward. By establishing one OS ambassador in each multi-professional team, IP4OS ensures adherence to the FAIR principles. Furthermore, IP4OS expected outcomes vary for different groups: A: IP Experts and Intermediaries; B: Experts Performing Research; C: Trainers teaching IP in/and Research. Group A will experience an elevation in awareness about how Europe can benefit from an integrated IP-OS approach, setting the bar for an environment where industry and academia mutually share their outputs reliably through agile IP management. They will also gain knowledge and skills and develop an advocacy role in a multi-professional team, applying their deepened IP expertise to boost knowledge valorisation. Group B will become more aware of the 'new normal OS', wherein academics, researchers, and organisations prosper through their outputs shared via fit-for-purpose IP management. They will gain knowledge and skills to interact with multi-professional teams and use them to choose the befitting IP management, ultimately enabling OS. Group C (multipliers) will realise and advocate that Europe can prosper through an integrated IP-OS approach, setting the stage for an environment where industry and academia mutually benefit through appropriate IP management. They will learn about implementing learner-centred teaching methodologies in creating multi-professional teams that foster OS. They will become proficient as 'train the trainers' in teaching agile IP management in a multi-professional setting. The main methodology, FAIR-by-Design, ensures that the consortium leverages, refreshes, and builds upon existing materials; and furthermore, safeguards open licences for IP4OS’ outputs, ensuring their reusability across a broad R&I community. Overall, IP4OS will make its formal and informal IP-OS capacity-building strategies available. The legacy booklet (D5.3) and IP4OS OERs will also document these capacity-building strategies at the Knowledge Valorisation Platform. 2.1.2.1 IP4OS effective impact (also beyond the scope and duration of the project) IP4OS meets the expected medium and long-term impacts from the call and reform and enhances the European R&I system (as shown above in “objectives”). Beyond the immediate outcomes, IP4OS’ results and outcomes empower a CoP with increased awareness, deepened knowledge, and stronger advocacy for fit-for-purpose IP management and OS. That is how IP4OS will increase capabilities within the R&I system to adapt and execute OS as a New Normal, better, say, standard procedure in contemporary research. IP4OS’ commitment to FAIR-by-Design and openness extends beyond the borders of traditional approaches for capacity building. Such an approach has a profound scientific and societal impact. It inherently also contributes to economic growth by reducing the resources required to build capacity across Europe even when the project ends. Through the inclusion of the European IP-Helpdesk, IFLA, and the included networks, IP4OS extends its reach and includes a strategy for sustainable use beyond the project's duration. Furthermore, all supporting material will be available on the Knowledge Valorisation Platform. IP4OS empowers HEIs and RPOs on the scientific front by encouraging them to adopt transformative processes towards an augmented comprehension of IP assets and their integral role in promoting OS. The Synergy Core Curriculum will e.g. also support discussions around rights retention and adoption of secondary publication rights. An amplified understanding of IP assets and the uptake of effective agile management to facilitate OS will make this tangible. Fitting IP tools will also increase significantly, moving towards unity with the Code of Practice. Increased use of fitting IP tools will ultimately lead to increased digital research outputs and drive Europe's competitiveness. The impact will continue to ripple out, encouraging in-depth considerations of 18 the potential consequences, limitations, or possible combinations of research products. It will advance the promotion of wide and early sharing of FAIR research outputs and improve access to excellence in ERA. IP4OS fosters societal benefits by driving the rise of educated researchers and informed citizens. It encourages IP reform, democratising information, and increasing citizen involvement in research. This system heightens trust and improves communication between science, society, and innovation. IP4OS also encourages (faster) collaborations between academia, industry, and policymakers, leading to beneficial knowledge sharing and innovation. Economically, IP4OS promotes effective strategies for research output, understanding IP management and OS practices across professions, and advancing research careers. Especially in technology transfer, it enriches the research field, making it more empowering and appealing. IP4OS also enhances the transfer of knowledge, the application of qualitative scientific results, and the professional movement between sectors, fostering innovation, economic growth, and new business opportunities. 19 Table 4: IP4OS credible pathway to impact as bullet points Impacts ✓ Reform and enhance of the European R&I system; ✓ Prioritisation of investments and reforms, accomplish the recovery and the twin transitions; ✓ Improved access to Europe-wide excellence; ✓ High-quality scientific production and stronger translation of R&I results into the economy; ✓ Deepen the ERA; ✓ Synergies between research & innovation and higher education policies and programmes; ✓ Modernised higher education sector, addressing higher education, research, and innovation; ✓ Increased number of interconnected knowledge ecosystems, strong in knowledge creation, circulation and use ✓ Researchers benefitting from attractive careers; ✓ Inclusive gender equality is promoted in the European research and innovation system; ✓ A more open and inclusive research and innovation system; ✓ Increased capacity in the EU R&I system to conduct open science and to set it as a modus operandi; ✓ Increased trust in science and R&I outcomes, and greater two-way communication between science and society; ✓ Knowledge and a highly skilled workforce circulate freely; ✓ Improved capacities within the EU R&I system to conduct open science; ✓ Enable the open sharing of knowledge and the re-use of research outputs (EOSC) 2.1.2.2 Stakeholders networks that ensure IP4OS impacts IP4OS’ outstanding consortium and IEAB has connections and working agreements with the following networks to support IP4OS aim in case of positive funding: EARMA plays a pivotal role in enriching IP4OS’ impact by offering a robust platform for research managers and administrators (in particular task 2.3; 4.3). The SEA-EU Alliance, a collaboration between 9 European universities, will include IP4OS’ campaign and training to strengthen their research and innovation cooperation and promote knowledge exchange. 4IP Council, European IP Helpdesk, and Horizon IP Scan, focusing on promoting and supporting IPR, contribute significantly towards IP4OS’ objective of raising awareness and deepening knowledge about IP management by including IP4OS outputs in their processes. Moreover, Priess-Buchheit will coordinate collaborations as a member of EOSC-A and the founding member of the Network for Education and Research Quality (NERQ). At the same time, KI covers the European Reproducibility Networks, bringing potential stakeholders, target groups, and multiplicators together. EURICE is also coordinating the European IP Helpdesk Ambassador scheme, which was initiated in collaboration with the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), the world’s largest support network 20 for SMEs. There are currently 42 Ambassadors from 26 different countries. European IP Helpdesk Ambassadors provide IP support for SMEs across Europe in their native language and help them integrate IP into their business strategies. As a consortium partner of other IP initiatives of the European Commission, Latin America and India IP SME Helpdesks, EURICE reaches many addresses across and outside Europe. Furthermore, IP4OS will integrate representatives of the EPO and European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) into the CoP (tasks 3.3 and 3.4) due to their crucial roles in granting, managing, and applying IPR in Europe. IP4OS also includes The EU Industry of Research Association (EIRMA) to include industry and will work closely with EOSC’s newly established Advisory Group on Data Spaces and Industry. 2.1.3 Critical risks and barriers to impact Table 5: Risks and provided mitigation Risk: Lack of awareness and understanding of the concerted IP-OS approach Mitigation: To ensure uptake and implementation of the Synergy Framework and IP4OS training, the consortium implemented various networks and established actors in the planning of IP4OS (T1.4, T2.1, T2.2, T3.2, T3.3, T3.5, T4.1.1, T5.2, T5.3, T5.4). Risk: Difficulty in identifying and managing possibilities in IP while adhering to the "as open as possible, as closed as necessary" principle Mitigation: To ensure effective utilisation of assets, IP4OS encloses a CoP to take not only the famous examples such as CONSCIENCE but also not yet known possibilities (T1.4, T2.2, T3.2, T4.1.1, T4.2). Risk: Inadequate development or limited accessibility of the Synergy Core Curriculum and the sustainable Training Centre Mitigation: IP4OS decided to use the FAIR-by-Design methodology for the development and dissemination of these resources and, therefore, ensures that all materials are not only openly accessible but also interoperable with many training systems (T1.5, T4.1.2, T5.1, 5.3). Risk: Language and cultural barriers and sector-inherent particularities limiting the outreach and effectiveness of IP4OS support materials Mitigation: IP4OS engages closely with the ambassador network of the European IP Helpdesk to adapt and support materials through RPOs and their multi-professional teams to fit different languages, skills, and professions (T1.4, T1.5, T2.2, T2.3). Risk: Issues with long-term sustainability Mitigation: The consortium implemented a promising sustainability strategy using the Knowledge Valorisation Platform and the European IP Helpdesk as future training centres (T3.4, T5.3). Risk: Traditional mindsets and resistance to change within academia and industry Mitigation: To overcome this obstacle towards impact, IP4OS decided to build a CoP (WP3) to foster acceptance and adoption of IP4OS results (T3.2, T3.3). 2.1.4 Scale & Significance of Outcomes and Impacts The significance of IP4OS can be measured through a multi-dimensional approach, tracking its influence in various domains: 21 ● Knowledge Sharing - Monitor the reach and usage of FAIR research outputs disseminated with the help of IP4OS’s multi-professional teams across Europe. ● Professional Empowerment - Assess the number and diversity of multi-professional teams and their organisations empowered with the knowledge, skills, and advocacy to valorise FAIR research outputs effectively. ● Scientific Impact - Examine the number of HEIs and RPOs leveraging the IP4OS open educational resources for better asset management that is as open as possible. ● Economic Impact - Measure the number of new career paths in technology transfer and new products, services, and business opportunities created following IP4OS’ initiatives. ● Social Impact - Evaluate the increase in educated trainers induced by IP4OS and the resulting social innovations from IP4OS multi-professional teams. ● Community Engagement - Track the number of collaborations between academia, industry, and policymakers forged through IP4OS. ● Inclusivity, Integrity and Decrease of the Carbon Footprint - Assess the impact of IP4OS on promoting gender equality in collaborations, responsible conduct of research, ecological decisions and fostering an open and inclusive research and innovation environment. 2.2 Measures to maximise impact - Dissemination, exploitation, and communication IP4OS’ pathway to impact relies on a multi-professional stakeholder engagement strategy, including a co-designed Role Model Campaign (WP3) and a customised training regimen (WP4). Ongoing stakeholder dialogues (WPs 2-4) will magnify this effect and effective communication, dissemination, and exploitation (WP5). This section delineates the specific activities to be carried out during and after IP4OS to engage stakeholders, facilitate uptake of results and ensure the long-term impact and sustainability of IP4OS social innovation. IP4OS addresses the capacity of 15 different professions, including actors, intermediaries, educators, and learners in the R&I landscape. Achieving impact begins with clearly understanding their needs, so IP4OS already mapped their knowledge, skills, awareness, and advocacy for IP and OS at the proposal stage (see Table 3). By assembling the leaders of international organisations with high-impact potential (see Section 3.2), IP4OS has existing connections to many of these groups. The project will also benefit from the substantial capacity building, awareness raising and dissemination experience of partners such as CAU, EURICE, MIK and PENSOFT, who will foster an engaged IP4OS community. IP4OS’ Advisory Board (see Section 3.2 below) will further expand the project’s links via their established international networks. 2.2.1 Plan for Dissemination and Exploitation of results, including Communication activities (PDEC) WP5 will coordinate Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation activities based on the stakeholder groups identified in T1.4 and implement them with all partners’ support. The Plan for Disseminating, Exploiting and Communication results will outline the activities, including communication activities (PDEC) (D5.2, M6). Within them, an implementation strategy will ensure that important results are mapped to relevant target groups, with time-bound activities, channels and qualitative & quantitative performance indicators (see Table 6). The plan will include: ● Illustration of how IP4OS’ branding (D5.1) uses effective visual communication. ● Plan for how IP4OS’ Role Model Campaign (WP3) and training (WP4) will receive support from dissemination methods and resources within WP5. ● Key Exploitable Results (KERs) linked to target groups and CDE measures for them. ● List of materials, methods, and channels to be used by target groups. ● Specific roles of individual participants in the project’s CDE efforts. ● Timeline and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for both during and after the project. 22 Table 6: IP4OS CDE actions, tools and KPIs C/D/E Tool KPIs for project duration C Promotional materials ≥4 materials; ≥700 downloads; utilised at ≥8 events C&D IP4OS website & blog ≥25 news items; ≥4 blog posts; ≥30 documents in library; ≥5.000 visits; ≥120 sec. av. session C&D Press release ≥4 press releases; ≥6.000 views C&D E-newsletter ≥4 issues; ≥150 subscribers; >35% open rate; >20% linkclick rate; <10% unsubscribe rate; >150 downloads from website C&D Social media networks 200 (re)posts; 300 followers; 75.000 impressions; 800 users traffic to website C&D Media broadcast local level Interviews/radio/TV broadcast>5 C&D Video ≥3 videos; ≥800 views D Academic publications ≥4 publications D Public deliverables ≥11 deliverables available on website; ≥50 downloads each D Presentations at events >10 international & national events where the project was presented e.g. in organised sessions; >1000 total participants at the events D&E Success Stories 3 testimonials from T1.4 D&E Webinar Series ≥4, 100 attendees D&E Legacy booklet ≥300 views D&E IP4OS role model material 10 posters, 2 videos, 50 social media posts reaching 25000 people E Training Centre ≥ 27 train-the-trainer sessions + ≥300 IP management course users E Policy briefs ≥2 policy briefs; ≥500 views; available on ≥2 platforms E Submission of opinions to open calls for evidence ≥2 submissions provided that relevant calls are open during the project’s duration E IP4OS summit 150 attendees 2.2.2 Plan for Communication activities As the broadest of the CDE activities, IP4OS’ communication efforts will start from the beginning of the project and will continue beyond its lifetime. They will work towards the project’s positive societal impact, raising awareness of how a concerted IP and OS approach can advance knowledge valorisation and help drive Europe’s digital and green transition. WP5 creates a recognisable brand identity and promotional materials (T5.1, M3) to foster familiarity and provide partners with visually impactful materials to distribute at events and among their networks. IP4OS’ social media profiles will be operational on at least two platforms from the get-go, identified based on an evaluation at the time of the implementation and according to the channels most frequently used by stakeholders. 23 The project will harness the institutional channels of its participants and capitalise on their well-established audience to distribute press releases and media coverage through newspapers, broadcasting and other science outlets (e.g., EurekAlert!, AlphaGalileo). IP4OS will also send a regular e-newsletter, informing stakeholders about the latest project news. Lastly, innovative communication formats will be developed (e.g., teaser videos for the IP4OS summit) based on the needs of outreach activities as the project progresses. 2.2.3 Dissemination To maximise its relevance to different stakeholder groups and impacts, IP4OS will shape dissemination activities through stakeholder perceptions. A preliminary indication of dissemination tools and relevant KPIs is shown in Table 6 and will be refined in D5.2 (M6). Regular updates will be shared via IP4OS’ website, storing outputs, providing a prominent link to the project’s training materials, and maximising the reach of IP4OS’ Role Model Campaign. The above describe OS principles (see Section 1.2.3) will guide knowledge sharing through publications in (inter)national journals and open access to other research outputs (e.g., deliverables and training materials) through platforms such as the Embassy of Good Science and the Knowledge Valorisation Platform. Furthermore, the project will rely on the substantial networking potential of its consortium members, who will help engage stakeholders in joint activities through their key roles in other European research projects and initiatives (see section 2.1.2.2). Partners will also build new links by presenting IP4OS and its results at relevant events at local, national and international scales (e.g., EARMA Conference, IP Researchers Europe Conference, EPIP Conferences, EOSC Symposium and World Conference of Research Integrity 2026). Lastly, easy access to IP4OS’ main takeaways will be guaranteed, contributing to creating research needs for future EU research projects. A legacy booklet will present the key results and open educational resources of each work package (D5.3, M23). 2.2.4 Exploitation IP4OS’ exploitation efforts use project results for scientific, societal, economic, and policy purposes, to reach a social innovation level similar to level 6 of technology readiness levels. IP4OS will develop an all-encompassing, customised training centre anchored on the Synergy Framework (WP2) conducted in 27 European countries to empower multi-professional teams. Furthermore, to incorporate its Synergy Core Curriculum within HEIs and RPOs across Europe, IP4OS has established the target of training at least 300 professionals and additional multipliers in all 27 EU countries as part of its training centre (WP4). To raise awareness and magnify the economic, digital, ecological, and societal benefits of the project’s concerted IP-OS approach, IP4OS will take up leading campaigns of European institutions and expand in a Role Model Campaign (WP3). The campaign will raise awareness and inform, showcasing the benefits of effective IP management and demonstrating how it can foster innovation and economic growth by following OS. Guided by a robust strategy, the campaign will engage with the community, create a CoP, organise events, foster collaborations, present case studies, and advocate for relevant policies. It will utilise various mediums for information like videos, blog posts, roadmaps, checklists, posters, flyers, and social media carousels. Furthermore, to ensure that IP4OS stakeholders translate IP4OS’ insights into policy impact, the project will develop policy briefs based on recommendations from T2.3 & reports providing insights from IP4OS’ in-depth analysis of IP management within OS (WP3). They will be distributed to relevant events, maximising partners’ existing stakeholder networks. To overcome the challenges of data access and sharing, instead of establishing a proprietary data hub that might become obsolete post-project, existing European platforms will be leveraged for the IP4OS project, such as the Knowledge Valorisation Platform, EU Innovation Radar Platform, Open Research Europe, and the EOSC ensuring the continued usability of the project results in the future. In addition, IP4OS will explore the exploitation mechanisms offered by the European Commission, such 24 as publishing results on the Horizon Results Platform, functioning as a link to policymakers and researchers, granting them access to the project’s most significant results with high potential value – Key Exploitable Results (KERs). The European IP Helpdesk will incorporate the training to ensure sustainability and further impact. А preliminary list of Key Exploitable Results and their potential pathways towards exploitation is available below (see table 7): Table 7: List of Key Exploitable Results (KER) and their potential pathways towards exploitation KER Target Audience Exploitation routes European Community of Practice for Knowledge Valorisation ● Start using the Synergy Framework to implement concrete strategies and approaches that warrant a concerted IP-OS approach. ● Take the Synergy Framework by hand and ensure the use of the practices in HEIs and RPOs, transfer and innovation centres, industry-academia collaborations, etc. ● Use the networks (EARMA, European IP Helpdesk, EOSC-A, NERQ, EPO, EUIPO, EIRMA, Reproducibility Networks) to foster use and implementation across Europe. European Community of Practice for Knowledge Valorisation ● Inform the CoP on advantages of a concerted IP-OS approach. Consequently, improve 50% awareness of the importance of IP and OS in ERA (T.1.4). ● Use practical knowledge, facts and figures on the advantages of a concerted IP-OS appr. ● Implement the new modus operandi of OS supported by fit-for-purpose IP. ● Provide ideas/inspiration to the CoP for their expectations of how future knowledge valorisation is conducted. Multi-profe ssions (see Table 3) ● Start using the Core Curriculum in formal learning settings to empower HEIs and RPOs to use the concerted IP-OS approach of the Synergy Framework by education. ● Give missing knowledge and skills to professionals so that they can implement a concerted IP-OS approach. ● Use high quality learner-centred peer-group-learning to empower multi-professional teams in HEIs and RPOs and foster their awareness, skills and advocacy for a concerted IP-OS approach. ● Empower multi-professional teams to secure best fitting IP to support OS. 25