12 November 2025
cOAlition S today reaffirmed its commitment to the foundational mission of accelerating full and immediate Open Access while expanding its vision to encompass the broader goal of rapid, open, transparent, and equitable sharing of trustworthy scientific knowledge. Seven years after the launch of Plan S, the international coalition of research funding and support organisations has defined a new strategic plan to advance their joint efforts on open access forward (2026-2030).
“We remain determined to accelerate full and immediate Open Access,” stated Mari Sundli Tveit, Chief Executive of the Research Council of Norway and Chair of the cOAlition S Leaders Group. ” As research funders, we want our funding to foster the public good of science through open practices, recognising multiple pathways to open access and working collaboratively with other key stakeholders. What we are adding is explicit recognition that achieving true open science requires transparency in processes, equity in participation, and unwavering commitment to the trustworthiness of scientific knowledge.”
Since its founding with twelve organisations in 2018, cOAlition S has grown into a robust international network that has significantly influenced global Open Access adoption. As the scholarly communication landscape has also evolved significantly during this period – shaped in part by the policies of cOAlition S – new opportunities and challenges have emerged. The rise of Article Processing Charges has highlighted persistent equity issues, while rapid advances in artificial intelligence present both opportunities for accelerating research dissemination and concerns about research integrity and trustworthiness.
To address these challenges, cOAlition S will focus on three interconnected strategic priorities that build upon the coalition’s proven expertise and established partnerships: strengthening the foundations for full, immediate, sustainable, equitable open access of scholarly peer-reviewed articles; supporting the digital infrastructure that enables Open Access; and exploring financially sustainable, equitable publishing systems while monitoring their progress and impact.
“These three strategic priorities reflect our commitment to addressing the full spectrum of contemporary scholarly communication and the urgent need for more sustainable and equitable models,” noted Lidia Borrell-Damián, Secretary General of Science Europe and Chair of the cOAlition S Executive Steering Group. “We are building on seven years of proven impact while preparing for the challenges and opportunities that will shape the next five years of open science.”
During this strategic development period, cOAlition S is engaged in advancing its expanded mission and strategic framework. The 2026-2030 Strategy is based on extensive member consultation, stakeholder engagement, and analysis of global trends in scholarly communication. It acknowledges the diverse national and international contexts within which cOAlition S organisations operate while maintaining unified advocacy for multiple pathways to open science. Implementation will unfold collaboratively over the following months.
Relevant files
cOAlition S Strategy 2026-2030 (full version)
cOAlition S Strategy 2026-2030 (one-pager summary)