Anna Leach of the Wall Street Journal reports, “New scientific research must be published for free online, the vice-president of the European Commission said, in a move designed to increase the knowledge pool open to small business and lead to more innovative products. All scientists receiving European Union funding will have to publish their results in an open-access format, Neelie Kroes, the commissioner responsible for Europe’s digital agenda, said Monday in Stockholm.  Ms. Kroes also  launched the global Research Data Alliance — a group committed to pooling and co-ordinating scientific data so it can be shared better.”

Leach continues, “Opening up scientific research is good for small business, said Victor Henning, CEO of British startup Mendeley, which aims to make academic research more connected. He has noticed the demand for access to academic research from small businesses. Where universities and big companies subscribe to paid-for journals, the costs of subscriptions could be prohibitive for small business, Mr. Henning said, so the commission’s move opens up knowledge not previously available. About 90% of academic research is still published in the subscription model, Mr. Henning said.”

Read more here.

Image: Courtesy Flickr/ Horia Varlan