The Open Access and Open Science movement is fundamentally transforming the global research landscape and scientific communication by promoting transparency and openness in research processes and outcomes. This transformation fosters reproducibility and reuse, accelerates scientific discovery, reduces collaborative barriers, and prevents unnecessary research duplication. Data sharing has emerged as a crucial driving force shaping the direction of science worldwide across all disciplines. For Ukraine, embracing this movement represents more than academic modernisation – it is essential for integrating Ukrainian science into the global community, fostering international collaboration, and enhancing the societal impact assessment of science across economy, healthcare, defence, and other critical sectors. This integration becomes particularly vital during wartime and in addressing post-war reconstruction needs.

Despite challenging wartime conditions, financial constraints, resource limitations, and the destruction of university infrastructure, Ukraine’s scientific sector demonstrates remarkable continuity and growth. Research activities persist across more than 350 universities and over 100 research institutions. Ukrainian scientists maintain substantial scholarly output, publishing over 80,000 scientific papers annually in 1,700 Ukrainian scientific journals and more than 4,000 papers in publications indexed by Scopus and Web of Science. 

Ukraine has implemented several groundbreaking policy initiatives that position it as a leader in open science implementation during times of crisis:

• The National Open Science Plan (2022) represents Ukraine’s most significant policy milestone, establishing mandatory open science principles and research data management (RDM) requirements for all state-funded research projects. This comprehensive framework requires applicants to demonstrate compliance with FAIR principles, particularly emphasizing data interoperability and reuse capabilities.
• Integration with Higher Education Assessment (2025) marks a transformative step where the national assessment methodology for higher education institutions now includes mandatory FAIR data requirements, creating systemic incentives for institutional compliance and cultural change.

Ukrainian institutions have established robust open science infrastructure that rivals many established European systems:

• 136 open access repositories providing comprehensive coverage across disciplines
• Over 90% of Ukrainian scholarly journals operating under open access models, with 10- 15% following diamond open access principles
• National Repository of Academic Texts (in development since 2016) serving as a centralised platform for Ukrainian scholarly output.

The State Scientific and Technical Library of Ukraine has emerged as the country’s primary open science catalyst, spearheading multiple transformative initiatives:

• Active participation in international open science networks and partnerships
• Development of shared roadmaps defining strategic steps toward research information openness
• Leadership in proper data management protocol implementation.

Major Two-Year Project (2025-2026) launched by the Library addresses critical capacity-building needs through: targeted policy development for diverse stakeholders (researchers, data stewards, librarians, publishers, university administrators); creation of comprehensive guidelines and implementation instructions; development of monitoring methodologies for assessing open access effectiveness and FAIR data compliance; planning and implementation of the National Scientific Data Repository of Ukraine incorporating international best practices and standards.

Ukraine’s open science initiatives demonstrate remarkable alignment with European Research Area integration requirements, showing strategic foresight in European integration preparation. This alignment is evident in several key areas:

• Policy Synchronisation: Ukraine’s National Open Science Plan mirrors policy frameworks implemented across EU member states, particularly those adopted by countries like Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania during their integration periods.
• Infrastructure Development: The establishment of 136+ repositories and high open access journal adoption rates (90%+) exceed benchmarks achieved by several EU candidate countries during similar development phases.
• Institutional Capacity Building: Ukraine’s systematic approach to training data stewards, librarians, and administrators parallels successful programmes implemented in countries like Slovenia and Croatia during their pre-accession periods.

Ukraine’s approach demonstrates several unique innovations that could inform EU-wide best practices:

• Crisis-Period Implementation: Ukraine proves that open science advancement is possible even amid extreme disruption, providing valuable lessons for maintaining research continuity during crises.
• Rapid Policy Integration: The simultaneous implementation of open science requirements alongside higher education assessment represents an accelerated approach that could serve as a model for other transitioning countries.
• Wartime Collaboration Enhancement: Ukrainian initiatives specifically address how open science principles can enhance international collaboration during national crises, offering insights for future EU crisis response mechanisms.

Despite significant progress, Ukraine faces substantial challenges common to many EU candidate countries:

• Limited FAIR Principles Awareness: Many researchers remain unfamiliar with FAIR principles and their significance, requiring comprehensive educational initiatives.
• Tool and Standard Implementation: Limited knowledge and implementation of assessment tools, software solutions, and standards for FAIR data compliance persist across institutions.
• Institutional Capacity Variations: Only 12 universities currently maintain comprehensive open science policies, services, and infrastructure, highlighting the need for broader institutional development.

Other systemic barriers:

• Academic Evaluation Systems: Traditional emphasis on publications and citations continues to limit incentives for data sharing, dataset creation, and broader societal impact pursuit.
• Resource Allocation: Researchers often perceive data sharing and RDM requirements as additional burdens without direct research benefits, necessitating better incentive alignment.
• Infrastructure Gaps: Many institutions lack experience and skills needed for effective research data management support for their research teams.

Ukrainian policymakers and institutions have developed comprehensive approaches to address these challenges:

• Comprehensive Training Programs: Training initiatives involving multiple stakeholders targeting researchers, administrators, and support staff.
• Incentive Realignment: Integration of open science metrics into academic evaluation and funding criteria.
• Collaborative Infrastructure Development: Shared resource development to address institutional capacity limitations.

Ukraine’s open science transformation represents a unique case study in academic modernisation during crisis while maintaining the European integration trajectory. The country’s initiatives provide valuable insights for:

• Crisis Resilience: Demonstrating how open science principles can enhance research continuity and international collaboration during disruption
• Accelerated Implementation: Showing how comprehensive policy frameworks can drive rapid cultural and institutional change
• European Integration: Illustrating how open science advancement can serve as a bridge to European Research Area participation

As Ukraine continues developing its open science ecosystem, the experience offers important lessons for EU expansion policy and support mechanisms for candidate countries facing similar challenges. Ukraine’s scientific community has transformed potential crisis into an opportunity for innovation, advancing open science principles despite unprecedented challenges. The combination of strategic policy implementation, robust infrastructure development, and international alignment positions Ukraine as both a beneficiary and contributor to global open science advancement. 

The ongoing State Scientific and Technical Library project and related initiatives represent not only national development but potential models for a crisis-period open science implementation that could inform European and global best practices. Ukraine’s experience demonstrates that commitment to openness, transparency, and collaboration can not only survive but thrive even in the most challenging circumstances.