Following an open public call in 2025, 45 pilot teams from 24 EU Member States have been selected to take part in the IP4OS Pilot Learning Lab. This strong response highlights the demand for practical, institution-level support at the interface of Intellectual Property (IP), Open Science (OS), and knowledge valorisation.

What is the Pilot Learning Lab?

The IP4OS Pilot Learning Lab is a structured, action-oriented training format supporting institutions in testing and establishing multi-professional collaboration models for IP and Open Science. Rather than a one-off workshop, it follows a three-session learning sprint, where teams work with real or provided cases to:

• clarify roles and friction points between IP and OS,
• test collaboration and communication mechanisms, and
• translate insights into concrete institutional next steps (e.g. consultation workflows or team set-ups).

The format is designed as a safe-to-fail experimental space, allowing institutions to identify what works in their specific context.

Current status

The IP4OS Pilot Learning Lab Toolbox is now openly available via Zenodo. It includes decision rubrics, consultation tools, guidance on multi-professional teams, and all materials needed to run the Pilot Learning Lab.
Pilot teams are currently scheduling their sessions with designated IP4OS coaches, and the first pilot sessions will kick off at the end of January.

Why this matters?

Insights from the pilots will directly feed into the IP4OS Synergy Framework, support the development of reusable tools, and strengthen a growing Community of Practice around IP and Open Science in Europe.

Open invitation to join us

IP4OS still welcomes participation from Bulgaria, Finland, and Slovakia. Academic and research institutions interested in establishing multi-professional IP–OS teams are invited to join.

All interested professionals are also welcome to engage with the IP4OS Community of Practice, even beyond the pilot phase.

Explore the Toolbox and join the IP4OS Community of Practice.