OpenForum Europe (OFE), the Open Source Initiative (OSI), and the Open Knowledge Foundation (OKFN) today announced the official launch of Open Technology Research (OTR) — a strategic partnership designed to strengthen the global open technology research community and advance evidence-based policymaking around open technologies.
Open technologies — including software, data, and standards — underpin today’s digital infrastructure, powering innovation globally across business, government, and society at large. Yet despite their ubiquity, there remains a significant gap in understanding their full social, political, and economic impact.
Open Technology Research addresses this challenge by creating a sustainable global platform for research, knowledge exchange, and policy engagement. The platform will house two flagship initiatives: the Open Technology Research Network (OTRN) and the Open Technology Research Symposium (OTRS).
- The Open Technology Research Network will bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to strengthen the empirical evidence base for the societal, political, and economic impacts of open technologies through increased networking, an annual flagship conference, and targeted convenings. In doing so, it will provide a platform for identifying critical research gaps, mobilising research capacity, connecting communities, and convening for impact
- Building on the success of the OpenForum Academy (OFA) Symposium conferences, the Open Technology Research Symposium will be convened for the first time in 2026. The Symposium will continue and expand the legacy of the OFA Symposium, bringing together academics and practitioners to discuss cutting-edge, policy-relevant impact research and its implications for global policy debates.
Open Technology Research will operate at the intersection of research, community, and policy, creating space for rigorous inquiry while ensuring diverse voices shape both research questions and the process of finding and delivering answers that drive impact. The initiative is committed to inclusive, transparent, and participatory processes, with multiple pathways for engagement from established academics, independent researchers, policy practitioners, and community advocates.
More information about Open Technology Research is available at opentechresearch.org. Details about the process for developing the research agenda and the location of the 2026 Open Technology Research Symposium will be announced in the coming weeks. To sign up to Open Technology Research newsletter and stay up-to-date on all our announcements, please go here.
About OpenForum Europe
OpenForum Europe is an independent not-for-profit think tank that advocates for openness in computing. OFE works to advance the interests of open source software, open standards, and other open technologies in the European policy sphere.
About the Open Source Initiative
The Open Source Initiative is a global non-profit organisation that stewards the Open Source Definition and builds bridges between open source communities and other sectors. OSI educates about and advocates for the benefits of open source and builds sustainable communities around open source.
About the Open Knowledge Foundation
The Open Knowledge Foundation (OKFN) is a global non-profit organisation that promotes openness as a design principle. For over two decades, it has established standards, created technical tools, and built digital public infrastructures in coordination with a global network present in over 40 countries. OKFN is the organisation behind the Open Definition, Open Data Commons, School of Data, and recognised digital public goods such as CKAN and Open Data Editor.
Originally published at the Open Technology Research Blog
