The Cluster of Excellence SimTech at the University of Stuttgart is actively contributing to the Road-to-Openness (R2O) Strategy Workshop, an initiative by the Stifterverband aimed at supporting universities in developing a sustainable Open Science strategy. The kick-off event took place on November 13, 2024, in Berlin, marking the beginning of a nationwide process that will accompany five selected universities throughout 2025. The initiative will conclude with a final event on November 20, 2025.
As the first participating university, the University of Stuttgart hosted its R2O workshop in early February, making it the first institution to hold an on-site event within the process. This workshop provided an opportunity to bring together key stakeholders, discuss institutional challenges, and set the foundation for a comprehensive, university-wide Open Science strategy.
Open Science is a movement that aims to make research processes more transparent, accessible, and collaborative. It encompasses open access to publications, the sharing of research data, reproducibility of results, and the use of open-source software. By fostering openness, research becomes more efficient, verifiable, and impactful. Open Science not only accelerates scientific discoveries but also enhances trust in research and facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration.
For SimTech, Open Science is particularly relevant in the field of computational science and engineering. What sets SimTech apart is its commitment to developing and openly publishing advanced research software. Around this, SimTech is building a tailored infrastructure that enables researchers to publish and describe their data more easily while ensuring compliance with the FAIR principles. Beyond publication, SimTech is actively working on making research data more useful and attractive by integrating additional services. This includes linking datasets to executable environments or platforms such as Jodakiss, allowing researchers to interact with and validate data in new ways.
As part of this initiative, Sibylle Hermann, SimTech’s Data and Software Steward, plays a key role in shaping the University’s Open Science vision. She is responsible for research data management within SimTech and actively supports the university’s broader Open Science efforts. In 2024, she also contributed as a panelist at the "Exzellenz im Dialog" event, highlighting the importance of Open Science in interdisciplinary research.
In addition, Jenny Kopsch-Xhema, CEO of SimTech, participated in the R2O workshop at the University of Stuttgart, contributing to strategic discussions on Open Science implementation and institutional change. Her involvement underscores SimTech’s strong commitment to fostering Open Science practices within the cluster and beyond.
Beyond these key figures, several SimTech researchers actively contributed to the workshop, sharing their expertise on research software, data infrastructure, and Open Science implementation. Their engagement helped shape discussions on how universities can create sustainable frameworks for Open Science and make research data more accessible and usable.
"We are pleased to contribute to the Road-to-Openness initiative. It provides a unique opportunity to strategically advance Open Science within the University and, consequently, within SimTech," says Sibylle Hermann.
The R2O Strategy Workshop, managed by Dr. Bettina Fackelmann from the Stifterverband, brings together leadership, implementation teams, and domain experts to foster Open Science at universities. The program's goal is to establish long-term, institution-wide Open Science strategies that benefit researchers, institutions, and society alike.