Open Data in Crises (A Caelum Project Delivery)

This report examines the role of open data in crisis contexts, focusing on the opportunities and vulnerabilities it creates for universities, libraries, and wider society. Drawing on survey findings, focus groups, and case analyses, it highlights how crises such as pandemics, wars, climate disasters, and disinformation campaigns both stress-test and accelerate the adoption of open data practices. The report identifies core challenges—including security breaches, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguity—while also documenting opportunities for rapid scientific collaboration, citizen science mobilisation, and more resilient infrastructures. A practical guide for research data managers and stewards is presented, alongside policy recommendations for universities and decision-makers. The findings underscore the paradox of openness in unstable times: while openness fosters resilience and innovation, it also exposes institutions to misuse, manipulation, and fragmentation. CAELUM’s contribution is to reframe libraries and research infrastructures as proactive civic actors, future-proofing knowledge ecosystems through principled openness, institutional preparedness, and cross-border collaboration.