At the THECUC 2025 conference with the main topic „e-Universities 4.0 - New Ideas, New World“, a panel titled “Open Science in Practice: Preconditions, Challenges and Sustainability in the Croatian Context” brought together key representatives from the Ministry of Science and Education, universities, research institutes and national infrastructure organisations (CARNET, SRCE, IRB).

Although Croatia has adopted a national Open Science plan, the discussion highlighted that true progress depends on everyday practice — building institutional support, recognising contributions to openness in research evaluation, and strengthening collaboration among all stakeholders.

A recurring theme was the importance of education and capacity building: researchers often face a lack of time, skills and guidance in implementing open practices. Panellists agreed that developing multi-professional support teams – combining librarians, IT experts, data specialists and educators – is essential to provide practical help and ensure sustainable change.

The conversation also touched on the broader European context, emphasising knowledge valorisation and the need for coherent national actions aligned with the ERA and EOSC initiatives. In this sense, projects such as IP4OS could be crucial for fostering cooperation, sharing expertise and embedding Open Science principles into institutional culture and long-term research policy.