Springer Nature

Springer Nature is a leading research, educational, and professional publisher that is at the forefront of open research. They offer a range of products and services aimed at advancing scientific discovery and enabling researchers to make a societal impact. Through their strategic partnership with The Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU), Springer Nature is committed to exploring the exact nature and scope of the wider impact of open research on global societal challenges. This collaboration has already resulted in the establishment of a national publish and read Open Access agreement, which was the first of its kind in Europe. The partnership focuses on three interlinked project groups. Project 1 maps scholarly research in the last decade to the UN Sustainable Development Program's global grand challenges. Project 2 conducts extensive impact analysis, especially in non-academic use cases. Project 3 focuses on facilitating impact generation and optimizing impact through best practices. The results of these projects will shed new light on the impact and societal relevance of open research, allowing funders, institutions, and researchers to identify emerging trends and best practices. The outcomes will be released in open standards and made openly accessible to stakeholders. Springer Nature is dedicated to fostering international collaboration, with participants sourced from both Springer Nature and Dutch research institutions. The projects are supervised by a high-level Steering Committee and a Consulting Group. With their commitment to open research and collaboration, Springer Nature is driving progress in tackling global societal challenges and shaping the future of scientific discovery.