Growing support for the large-scale transition to open access | Max Planck Society

"One year after its launch, the global initiative OA2020 is seeing strong support as part of the Berlin Declaration. Further international scientific institutions have joined the cause for converting the majority of today’s scholarly journals from subscription to open access (OA) publishing. At the start of the 13th Berlin Conference, OA2020 received additional support from the USA.

At the 13th Berlin Conference taking place this Tuesday and Wednesday, some 220 experts from research and research funding organizations from 34 countries will meet to discuss their experiences with the envisioned transition in scientific publishing. 'A year ago we formulated our shared goal of making open access the standard model of publication. In the digital age, immediate access to journal articles is crucial for scientific progress and innovation. First decisive key contracts with major publishers have been concluded. The conference will provide a platform for exchanging experiences and different perspectives. On the second day, the event is open to representatives from many important publishers, highlighting that fact that our goal is to shape change together. The political support in Europe also provides us with additional momentum', says Max Planck President Martin Stratmann, with a reference to the EU science ministers' demand to achieve the transition to open access by the year 2020."