#OAWeek2025: Who Owns Our Knowledge?

Welcome to the international Open Access Week 2025 at TU Hamburg.

“Who owns our knowledge?” is the motto of this year’s International Open Access Week from October 20-26. The motto takes a look at the current situation and raises the question of how science and society – in a time of upheaval – can regain control over the knowledge they produce. It also challenges us to think not only about who has access to education and research, but also about how knowledge is created and shared, where it comes from and whose voices are recognized and valued.

When knowledge becomes a commercial commodity

Research wants to and should be received. Publications with quality-assured research results not only enable further research and transfer to society, but are also of great commercial interest. Profits do not always flow back to the researchers. Scientific publishers sometimes charge very high fees for publications. The more they can publish, the more they earn. Researchers often also lose the rights to use their work. So-called predatory publishers and conferences also benefit from this model, but researchers do not.
At the same time, the public visibility of research results is increasingly at risk. Aggressive harvesters for competing AI models are technically bringing publication platforms and catalogs to their knees. Technical barriers to access must be put in place to protect them.

Strategic answers

In July 2025, the Alliance of Science Organisations, which also includes the German Rectors’ Conference and the German Research Foundation, adopted the “Alliance Strategy for the Further Development of Scientific Publishing 2026-2030”. The Alliance promotes open access to scientific information as the basis for transparent, efficient and high-quality research processes and as a driver for the transfer of research results from science to society, business and politics. The Alliance’s commitment to open access, which dates back to 2003, has resulted in the , which has now been updated to form a strategy for the further development of scientific publishing.

The strategy focuses on measures in the following four areas:

1. Evaluating and shaping developments in the dynamic field of academic publishing
   • Identification of new types of technical tools for scientific publishing, their evaluation with regard to the sovereignty and openness of science and, if necessary, derivation of necessary measures to be taken by the Alliance.
2. Preparation of further negotiations (in particular DEAL)
   • Development of criteria for the effectiveness and target dimensions of future DEAL contracts based on the analysis of current DEAL contracts.
3. Establishment of scholar-led Open Access infrastructures
   • Identification and evaluation of models for joint or distributed financing of permanent, professional, quality-assured publication infrastructures at scientific institutions.
4. Further measures to promote the Open Access transformation
   • Active lobbying for a reduction in VAT on scientific publishing from 19% to 7%.
   • Development and establishment of standards for standardised and efficient publication and cost monitoring at scientific institutions.

The Open Access Week at the TU Hamburg

We make Open Access tangible and practicable for you. Discover insights and helpful tips on publishing with us – just in time for Open Access Week! A new article awaits you every day in our blog. Come by the library and be inspired by our diverse poster exhibition in the rotunda. Of course, we also look forward to exchanging ideas with you in person!