OPENAIRE - OpenAIRE sustainability model

This report outlines first steps for the development and implementation of a sustainability plan for OpenAIRE, with the aim to outline how OpenAIRE could be moved from a pilot to a permanent infrastructure. OpenAIRE, a project co-funded by the European Commission's Seventh Framework Program (2009-2012), needs to define a Sustainability Roadmap for its human network of open access experts (National Open Access Desks) and coordinators as well as its technical infrastructure and services. This report will discuss best practices in the landscape of e-Infrastructure initiatives and will describe a scenario on how the activities and services under development by the OpenAIRE project could be sustained into the mid-term future. Moreover, it summarizes open issues and questions which have to be addressed and outlines some possible solutions. Further measures to support the sustainability of OpenAIRE will have to be addressed within its extension project OpenAIREplus (2011-2013). OpenAIREplus enlarges the realm of OpenAIRE to the linking of publications with data from various sources (data archives, authority services, CRIS etc.). It will deliver a study on sustainability and business models for open access infrastructures and a feasibility/business plan for the technical operation of the infrastructure and services as developed by OpenAIRE/OpenAIREplus (deliverables D3.5, D3.7 and D3.8). Therefore, this report will be limited to a discussion of options for the governance, legal framework and funding models. Moreover, it might serve as a pre-study in the context of the OpenAIREplus studies.