Recap of the Community Day on Valorisation and Communication

Valorisation

We opened the morning with an introduction explaining why valorisation and communication were chosen as the central themes. For the first major topic, valorisation, some additional context was needed. Although the direct commercialisation of research outputs is typically handled by specialised units like TechTransfer Offices, data stewards nevertheless engage with valorisation in meaningful ways.

In their daily work, data stewards encounter valorisation both as a positive outcome of openness (for instance, when emphasising how Open Data can generate indirect economic or societal benefits) and as a legitimate restriction on openness (for example, when protecting data with commercial or strategic value). And once we look beyond economic valorisation alone and include societal, scientific, reputational, educational, and policy‑related impacts, it becomes clear that data stewards contribute substantially to these broader forms of value creation. Open Science practices—FAIR data, transparency, visibility, and outreach—directly enable and amplify these expanded types of valorisation.

Furthermore, we were able to clearly tie our topics to two actions under one of the strategic goals in the upcoming Open Science policy plan 2026-2030. As such, the participation and outcomes of this Community Day help us prepare for future project groups.

Once the rationale for the valorisation topic was sketched, we welcomed two speakers to the floor. First, Wouter Van Bockhaven (AMS) outlined how Antwerp Management School translates its mission—developing globally aware, socially conscious leaders—into impact by combining research, thought leadership, learning & development, and industry collaboration. Using a four‑quadrant valorization model, he illustrated how AMS moves from internal capability‑building to external recognition, and from internal commercialization to market‑oriented external commercialization. Concrete examples ranged from sector barometers and ecosystem projects to IP‑based tools, repeatable workshop formats, and partnerships with companies and public organizations. Wouter concluded with valuable discussion prompts on perceived tensions between OS and IP protection.

Next, in a presentation titled Open-Source Software as a Research Valorization Strategy at DTAI, Pieter Robberechts (KU Leuven) explained how open‑source software can be a powerful way to turn academic AI research into real‑world impact. In the DTAI research group, the main research output isn’t datasets but algorithms—so the code behind these algorithms becomes the key asset. By releasing this code as well‑designed, well‑documented open‑source toolboxes, researchers make it easier for industry, other academics, and the broader community to reuse, test, and build upon their work. This helps raise the technology’s maturity and bridges the ‘valley of death’ between a research prototype and actual adoption. Using several examples of algorithms, Pieter showed that the successful adoption of research software libraries depends not just on scientific novelty but on practical things such as integration with existing ecosystems, compatibility with common data formats, clear APIs, and good documentation. Crucially, open-source doesn’t prevent monetization, because the open‑source toolboxes can still be the foundation for several sustainable revenue models. The core message: openness is not the opposite of valorisation—on the contrary, open‑source creates more opportunities for visibility, collaboration, and sustainable innovation, especially when paired with thoughtful licensing choices and a long‑term team strategy.

After the presentations, we spent the remaining time of the morning on a productive group discussion. If I can highlight just one conclusion, it is that we seemed to agree on the need to build and have our own mapping/understanding of the different pathways of valorisation, so that data stewards can better explain to reseachers what it means in practice to be “as closed as necessary”.

Communication

The afternoon was dedicated to the topic of communication. Communication is an integral part of the day‑to‑day responsibilities of the research support staff of the FRDN Knowledge Hub. We aim to reach as many people as possible within our target audiences to make them aware of our support services, and once we have their attention, to convince them of the benefits of FAIR research data management and of making science as open as possible, but as closed as necessary. The afternoon therefore included both a session on communication strategies and one on narrative-building.

The narrative‑building session invited participants to reflect on common concerns voiced by critical or hesitant researchers—for example, “Why do I need to write or upload a final Data Management Plan?” or “I spent years on this project; I don’t want to give my data away.” Participants first wrote down individually how they would respond to each statement. In breakout groups, they then clustered these responses along two dimensions, discussed emerging patterns, and shared favourite answers. The exercise generated a rich set of answers that may prove valuable for future project groups tasked with advancing the strategic goal of fostering a coherent, confident understanding of Open Science among data support staff and researchers in Flanders.

The communication strategy session featured short presentations by Inge Mannaerts (KU Leuven), Ziad Choueiki (UGent), Jone Paesmans (VUB) and Matheus Lourenço (VIB), each showcasing the communication channels their institutions use to inform researchers about available support services. They shared what works well, what doesn’t, and the lessons they have learned from reaching out to their respective research communities. Unfortunately, time was running out, which prevented us from going into a real conversation, but we warmly encourage readers to consult the slides (on Basecamp)—the examples and approaches they contain may offer valuable inspiration for your own communication efforts.

Our Community Day concluded with a Closing Drink at the venue. We warmly thank AMS for being an excellent host, our speakers for enriching the programme, and all participants for their engaged and enthusiastic contributions.

About our Community Days

The KH Community Days are small conferences we organize 3 times every academic year. They are great opportunities to get in touch with fellow data stewards (or professionals in the field of Open Science & RDM more generally). Everyone who is a member of our Basecamp platform is very much welcome. The next one is planned for Thursday 7 May 2026.