News

Max Planck Information & Technology has released KEEPER 7.0, a major update based on the Open Source file sync and share software Seafile Professional 12.0.16. This new version features a refreshed design and a range of functional improvements aimed at optimizing usability, performance, and collaboration.

KEEPER 7.0 introduces updated branding, including a new logo and a redesigned landing page, providing a modern and consistent visual appearance. The user interface has been significantly improved with a unified “Files” view that combines personal, shared, and group libraries. Users can now customize the sidebar, and a new tile view offers a more visual way to browse files.

A notable addition to this release is SeaDoc, a built-in collaborative editor that facilitates real-time document editing and lightweight note-taking. SeaDoc complements OnlyOffice by offering markdown-based editing, quick features, and collaborative workflows directly within KEEPER. Unlike traditional office documents, SeaDoc files are fully integrated into the platform and cannot be opened externally.

KEEPER 7.0 also introduces a new Wiki module based entirely on SeaDoc This module enables teams to efficiently create, maintain and share knowledge, making it ideal for internal documentation and collaborative content management.

File preview functionality has been optimized for faster loading times and improved thumbnail generation. Support has been extended to additional formats, including PDF, video, and HEIC files. An integrated knowledge base is now accessible directly within the web interface, providing users with immediate access to help and documentation.

Security and access control have been further strengthened. Files can now be shared with specific individuals via their email addresses, and anonymous editing is no longer supported, ensuring more controlled and secure collaboration.

With these improvements, KEEPER 7.0 delivers a more intuitive, modern, and collaborative experience for users across the Max Planck Society.

For support or assistance, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

More Info:

KEEPER Knowledge Base

Since the beginning of 2026, scientists at the Max Planck Society can count on even more support: Max Planck Information and Technology (MaxIT) was launched on January 1. To this end, two institutions of the Max Planck Society were merged: the Information and Communication Technology Department of the General Administration and the Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL).

The newly created central institution of the Max Planck Society offers numerous research-supporting and administration-related information and IT services.

More Info:

Press release on the founding of Max Planck Information and Technology

Max Planck Information and Technology website: www.maxit.mpg.de

The Max Planck Digital Library is pleased to announce its participation in TIB's new KOALA Mathematics bundle for the funding period 2026-2028.

Following MPDL's contribution to the Computer Science & Mathematics bundle earlier this year, this expanded support demonstrates our continued commitment to open access publishing in mathematics—a field of significant importance to Max Planck researchers.

The new bundle comprises these titles:

Comptes Rendus Mathématique

Annales Henri Lebesgue

Journal of Groups, Complexity, Cryptology

Journal of Nonsmooth Analysis and Optimization

The KOALA funding model supports quality-assured, charge-free open access publications through collaborative institutional contributions. By participating in these dedicated bundles, MPDL strengthens the infrastructure for diamond open access journals, while ensuring Max Planck researchers can publish their work in high-quality venues of their choice, and advancing the community-driven principles central to the Society's open access strategy.

More Info:

KOALA

The Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) has introduced the eBooks Bot in Minerva Messenger, an infrastructure‑integrated service that enables users across the Max Planck Society to efficiently search, identify, and access eBooks available within MPG-licensed collections. The bot supports both targeted queries (e.g., by author, title, or subject) as well as exploratory requests, providing relevant matches together with additional suggestions to support comprehensive literature discovery.

This feature can be utilized via private one-to-one messaging, in group conversations, or within Minerva Messenger channels, providing flexibility for both individual use and collaborative research workflows. With access to more than 683,166 indexed eBooks from the EBX Selected Collections at launch, the bot already provides extensive coverage, which will continue to grow as further content and collections are integrated.

The eBooks Bot is powered by the Gemma language model and operates entirely within MPG-managed computing environments. All requests and responses are processed and retained exclusively within MPG infrastructure, ensuring full compliance with internal data handling standards, confidentiality requirements, and security policies. While responses are generated in English, users may submit queries in multiple languages.

Continued user feedback during the Beta phase will support ongoing refinement and planned expansion of supported sources and capabilities.

For further assistance or inquiries, please get in touch with our This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

More Info:

eBooks Bot on Minerva Messenger

Over the past few months, a small team from the Max Planck Digital Library has been traveling around Germany to update scientists at various Max Planck Institutes on the topic of research data management.

The team also presented the MPDL's helpful tools:

• the open research data repository Edmond
• the electronic lab notebook Labfolder
• RDMO, a tool to support the planning, implementation, and organisation of research data management

The route took them from Stuttgart in March (MPI for Solid State Research) to Freiburg (MPI for Immunobiology and Epigenetics) and Leipzig (MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesMPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences) in September, ending with the last event in Bad Nauheim (MPI for Heart and Lung Research) in December.

During one- to two-day workshops, the scientists were able to familiarize themselves with the tools and discuss as well as try out specific use cases. In addition to these onboardings, the large research data management workshop at the Max Planck Society took place in October at the MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig.

The Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) is pleased to announce that the Max Planck Decentralized Science Initiative – DeSci Connect is advancing towards a strategic partnership with Cerebrum DAO, a pioneering decentralized science (DeSci) platform. Together, DeSci Connect and Cerebrum DAO will explore joint activities including workshops, knowledge exchange, and infrastructure development to accelerate the adoption of decentralized science practices.

DeSci Connect was launched to explore how decentralized technologies can support more open, transparent, and collaborative research practices across the Max Planck Society and beyond. By joining forces with Cerebrum DAO, DeSci Connect strengthens its mission to build new models of scientific collaboration, funding, and governance that serve the global research community.

Cerebrum DAO brings a unique approach to decentralized science, leveraging blockchain-based governance and community-driven structures to empower researchers and enhance the visibility and reproducibility of scientific work.

As part of their collaboration with Cerebrum DAO, DeSci Connect will begin hosting a series of workshops with researchers of the Max Planck Society, laying the foundation for wider engagement and collaboration across the scientific ecosystem.

This partnership highlights the growing momentum behind decentralized science initiatives and reflects MPDL’s commitment to advancing innovative models of scholarly communication and collaboration.

Edmond, the Open Research Data Repository of the Max Planck Society, has recently been awarded the NFDI4Earth Label.

According to the NFDI4Earth website, “The NFDI4Earth Label encapsulates key requirements for infrastructures and services to facilitate integration into the NFDI4Earth ecosystem. It provides a dedicated interface for repository providers to interact with and a public-facing web interface highlighting services which have successfully obtained the Label.”

Edmond was launched by MPDL in 2014 and currently contains more than 1,200 datasets from various scientific fields.

More Info:

Website of the NFDI4Earth Label

Open Research Data Repository Edmond

On November 10 and 11, the Open Science Days 2025 took place at the MPG's Harnack House in Berlin. Numerous researchers and other scientific stakeholders came together to discuss the highly topical issue of “Open Science in the Light of Geopolitical Polarization.”

The hybrid event offered more than 100 participants a wide-ranging program of lectures, panel discussions, and opportunities for informal exchange. Organized by the MPDL, the Open Science Days 2025 aimed to openly address the challenges and opportunities facing the Open Science movement in an increasingly complex global environment.

The first day of the conference kicked off with Prof. Dr. John P.A. Ioannidis from Stanford University making a plea for “The importance of rigorous and robust science.”

Dr. Johannes Fritsch from Leopoldina and Jeroen Sondervan (Open Science NL) rounded off the morning program with their presentations. The afternoon began with a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Stephanie Jurburg. Among other things, she discussed open access to research data with Melissa Harrison (EMBL-EBI), Dr. Mathijs Vleugel (Helmholtz Open Science Office), and Dr. Kamran Naim (Open Science CERN).

In the late afternoon, the speakers took the audience on a virtual journey – from Open Science in China (Prof. Dr. Anna Ahlers & Dr. Annina Sofia Lattu) to Turkey (Prof. Dr. Burçak Başbuğ on the topic of earthquake data) to outer space (Dr. Andrea Merloni, Experiences with Russia cooperation -eRosita). The first day of the conference concluded with short lightning talks on various Open Science topics.

Day two of the Open Science Days began with a trio of presentations: Petra Labriga and Prof. Dr. Dietrich Rebholz-Schuhmann (both ZB Med) kicked things off with their presentation on the importance of resilient infrastructure in science, followed by Dr. Adrin Jalali (:probabl.), who has made machine learning the focus of his work and is now a startup founder. Third to take the podium was Matthew Cannon (Taylor & Francis), who spoke about the future of open science from a publisher's perspective.

Finally, Dr. Dagmar Meyer (ERCEA) presented Open Science from the perspective of the European Research Council, thus contributing the final presentation to the conference. Among other things, she addressed the ERC's recommendations regarding the enhancement of research security and explained the specific restrictions that apply, for example, to research collaboration with Russia and Belarus.

More Info:

Open Science Days 2025 Website

As of October 2025, the Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) is now an active member of the AI Alliance. The AI Alliance is an international initiative dedicated to the open, secure, and responsible development of artificial intelligence. Its goal is to advance AI research and innovation collaboratively - transparent, ethical, and for the benefit of society. More than 100 members from companies, universities, research institutions, government agencies, and non-profits work together to democratize access to AI technologies and strengthen trust in their development.

The focus is on projects that provide secure development tools, promote open foundation models, and support education, research, and awareness about the opportunities, risks, and regulation of AI. The alliance is committed to open collaboration to promote global standards, pool resources, and create a diverse ecosystem for responsible AI development.

By joining the alliance, MPDL brings Max Planck Society's perspective on trusted and open data to this international exchange, while also strengthening its visibility and networking within the global AI community.

As its first major contribution, MPDL is providing the alliance with access to bloxberg: a tamper-proof, decentralized blockchain for time-stamping, certifying, and verifying the provenance of research data and results. This will create sustainable partnerships and valuable foundations for future initiatives.

With its involvement in the AI Alliance, the MPDL is actively contributing to the advancement of open, transparent, and trustworthy AI ecosystems worldwide.

More Info:

AI Alliance

bloxberg

The Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) is pleased to announce its participation in the Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB) of the BioBlock project. Building on insights from its blockchain initiative bloxberg, MPDL will bring expertise in decentralized scientific infrastructure, rigorous data verification, and open‑science ecosystem design to support BioBlock. Within the Stakeholder Advisory Board, MPDL will help co‑develop governance and technical frameworks that enhance trust, transparency, and reproducibility in biotechnology research and data management, while enabling verifiable research data, FAIR principles, and secure collaboration to drive innovation and reliable knowledge sharing across the project.

BioBlock (“The blockchain marketplace for biotech data and innovation”) is an innovation project led by Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin) and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU Berlin). From January 2025 to December 2028, it is funded by the Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt (BMFTR) under the DATIpilot BioBlock Innovationscommunity program. The project aims to establish a secure and transparent knowledge and data exchange platform for the biotechnology industry, developing collaboration between research, industry, and civic innovation.

The BioBlock platform will explore new approaches to securely manage, share, and validate scientific data in biotechnology using technologies such as blockchain, IPFS, and FAIR data principles. By integrating expertise from academia, industry, and civic organizations, the initiative aims to create a sustainable model for data-driven innovation in life sciences.

More Info:

BioBlock

From October 28 to 30, 2025, the 7th Research Data Management Workshop (FDM-Workshop) of the Max Planck Society took place in Leipzig. It was organized by the Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

Around 100 researchers, librarians, data stewards, and interested parties from across the Max Planck Society (MPG) met on site or joined online to discuss digital research infrastructure, data management, and innovative tools.

The event offered a wide range of topics contributed by employees from various Max Planck Institutes – an aspect that was particularly appreciated by the participants. In addition to practical presentations from the MPG network, external experts also spoke to provide a broader perspective.

The MPDL presented its current projects and tools:

• The open research data repository EDMOND
• The electronic lab notebook Labfolder
• The machine automated support for software management plans MAUS

Plans for the AI-based ebooks bot, which will simplify the search for ebooks in the MPG in the future, were also presented.

Participants praised the diverse topics and the relatable presentation of the solutions presented. The feedback was clear: the event should take place more frequently in the future – not just every year and a half.

More Info:

Website of the FDM-Workshop

Max Planck Digital Library and BioOne have signed a three-year agreement to bring the flagship BioOne Complete aggregation to 84 Institutes of the Max Planck Society.

This agreement includes the full term of BioOne’s Subscribe to Open (S2O) pilot from 2026 through 2028, supporting shared goals of sustainable open access and equitable scholarly communications. Through this agreement, all Max Planck Institutes maintain reading access to the full BioOne Complete’s collection of over 230,000 biological sciences articles while simultaneously advancing open access objectives. Success of this pilot will also connect Max Planck Institute-affiliated researchers with broader audiences throughout the international biosciences community.

Ádám Dér, Head of the Scientific Information Provision at the Max Planck Digital Library remarked: “We’re pleased to support BioOne’s Subscribe to Open pilot, through which we not only serve our researchers but also contribute to the wider scholarly community. This agreement reflects our long-standing goal of making research accessible to all and our commitment to supporting diverse pathways toward open scholarship, ensuring our researchers can both access and share knowledge freely while supporting independent scholarly publishers.”

More Info: 

Press release on the BioOne website

Publishers using Janeway to manage scholarly article workflows can now easily connect to OA Switchboard through a new plugin, with development funding contributed by the Max Planck Digital Library.

OA Switchboard is a community-led initiative that simplifies information sharing about open access publications throughout the publication journey. The new plugin seamlessly reports published articles to relevant institutions and funders, increasing visibility to stakeholders, simplifying OA reporting, improving discoverability, and easing integration with other publication systems.

Ádám Dér, Head of Scientific Information Services at the MPDL, says: "We are thrilled to support the development of the OA Switchboard Janeway plug-in. Investing in practical tools that create transparency between publishers, funders, and institutions brings us closer to the Max Planck Society’s vision of a barrier-free scholarly publishing ecosystem and reflects our diversified approach to achieving openness."

More Info:

OA Switchboard Janeway plug-in

The MPG LeadNet Symposium 2025 took place at Harnack House in Berlin on October 6 and 7, bringing together a diverse group of researchers and experts from various fields. The symposium's program was designed to showcase the breadth of research being conducted within the Max Planck Society, as well as providing career and networking opportunities — and it did not disappoint.

The event kicked off with a presentation on the 'Last Universal Common Ancestor' (LUCA), which explored the origins of life on Earth through biological, chemical, and geological experiments at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology. This was followed by a talk on nanoscale imaging, which highlighted the latest advancements in this field. The symposium also featured a presentation on international financial flows, which provided insights into the complex world of global finance.

In addition to these research-focused talks, the event included career tips and advice from experienced Max Planck directors and external speakers. One of the highlights of the symposium was the evening poster session, which allowed attendees to delve into new and innovative areas of research.

The event also included an overview of the diverse activities of the Max Planck Foundation, which supports the Max Planck Society's research endeavors and creates financial freedom for researchers.

MPDL's contribution to the LeadNet Symposium consisted of a workshop on 'AI Tools in Science'. The workshop encouraged participants to think creatively about how AI could transform their field of research within the next five years. The session was highly interactive, with attendees engaging enthusiastically in discussions and idea-sharing.

Overall, the LeadNet Symposium 2025 was a successful event that provided a platform for knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and innovation. It may even have sparked new research ideas to be explored in future.

More Info:

MPG LeadNet Website

We’re excited to share the updated bloxberg.org website— reflecting bloxberg’s evolving mission and its role at the intersection of traditional science and Web3.

The idea for a science-driven blockchain infrastructure was born in 2018 within the Max Planck Society — initiated by the Max Planck Digital Library. What started as an internal solution for trusted timestamping of research data quickly evolved into a global vision.

Since its launch in 2019, bloxberg has evolved into the world’s first blockchain network governed entirely by research institutions. Designed to strengthen science with trust, transparency, and independence, it offers a public infrastructure for certifying, sharing, and safeguarding scientific knowledge.

The new site highlights bloxberg’s updated mission, its commitment to Decentralized Science (DeSci), and the unique role of the bloxberg Council — a trusted group of institutions operating the network’s full ledger infrastructure.

Looking ahead, bloxberg will continue to evolve — with new scientific applications, an expanded Council, and plans for scalable Web3 infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing ecosystem.

More Info:

bloxberg.org

The Max Planck Digital Library and Cambridge University Press have collaborated in a new open access books agreement that combines evidence-based acquisition with open access funding.

The agreement enables Max Planck researchers to publish new books open access with Cambridge University Press while also providing unlimited access to the publisher's books collection. This new and flexible model reduces the administrative burden on authors and allows MPDL to tailor the program annually to meet researchers' evolving needs.

“We are excited to have worked closely with the Cambridge team through an exceptionally open and transparent negotiation process, and to have reached an agreement that will enable our authors to not only access the books and Elements from Cambridge of relevance to them but also publish their books open access with the Press,” said Ádám Dér, Head of Scientific Information Provision at MPDL. “This agreement reflects our longstanding and steadfast commitment to open access and ensures worldwide reach and the greatest possible impact for our researchers.”

Read the full press release on the Cambridge University Press website

The Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) has reached a significant milestone with the continuous expansion of its eBook collection for the scientists of the Max Planck Society (MPG). Launched in 2008 with around 2,200 records, the catalog accessible via https://ebooks.mpdl.mpg.de/ now comprises more than one million digital titles.

As early as 2007, an interdisciplinary working group at the MPG initiated measures for the strategic integration of eBooks into the scientific information provision. With the founding of the MPDL, central acquisition concepts were developed and framework agreements were made with renowned publishers. Today, numerous eBooks from Cambridge University Press, De Gruyter, Duncker & Humblot, Nomos, Oxford University Press, Springer, Wiley-Blackwell and other publishers are accessible to all MPG institutions.

Open Access titles are also included in the catalog: Both the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB) and the Online Library of Open Access Books (OAPEN) can be searched via MPG.eBooks.

With the current stock of one million titles, researchers from all disciplines represented in the MPG can access a wide range of digitally available resources.

More Info:
MPG.eBooks

Earlier this year, the 17th Berlin Open Access Conference (B17) brought together national delegations of research institutions and their libraries from around the world to assess progress in their transformation strategies, collectively advancing a more open scholarly publishing system and addressing emerging challenges in the increasingly complex research communication ecosystem. The OA2020 Initiative has published a comprehensive report capturing the collective wisdom and strategic direction that emerged from the conference discussions, offering pragmatic steps to address the current challenges facing the scholarly communication community and charting what can be accomplished collectively, based on the needs expressed at the event.

Hosted by the Max Planck Society and organized by the OA2020 Initiative (coordinated by the Max Planck Digital Library), B17 featured panel sessions and strategic discussions with delegates and publisher guests to tackle current priorities in the transition to open access. With insights from library consortia across six continents engaged in open access negotiations, the B17 cohort reaffirmed its commitment to advancing a fair, inclusive, and author-driven practices in scholarly journal publishing while continuing to support new, community-led models of open scholarship.

Building on progress since B16, delegates identified critical areas requiring continued focus: ensuring author rights through open licensing, promoting transparent and fair pricing models, supporting diverse publishing frameworks, and maintaining quality standards in an increasingly complex landscape. The strong consensus among all delegations produced the B17 Final Statement, which set forth the key objectives for the next phase of publisher negotiations.

Through working groups, regional engagement, policy alignment, and shared learning initiatives, OA2020 and its partners are laying the groundwork for a more accountable and community-driven publishing ecosystem. The momentum generated at B17 will carry forward into a period of intensified action, culminating in a collective stocktaking at B18 to assess progress and renew strategies for the final stages of the open access transition.

Read the full conference report for a more detailed account of the conference discussions and key outcomes.

 
Participants of B17 / Photo by Christine Kromer (MPDL)

Edmond, the Max Planck Society's (MPG) open research data repository, is featured in a detailed article in MAX MAG, the MPG's community magazine.

The article provides an insightful look at Edmond's mission to make high-quality, open research data accessible to the global scientific community. By providing researchers with easy access to a wealth of data, Edmond plays a crucial role in promoting transparency, reproducibility, and collaborative research within the MPG and beyond.

The article in MAX not only highlights Edmond's features, but also recognizes its community-oriented approach to data sharing. It underscores how important platforms such as Edmond are for promoting interdisciplinary collaboration for research and breaking down barriers to access to scientific data.

Edmond was developed by staff at the Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) and has been operated by MPDL since its inception in 2014.

More info:
Article on Edmond in MAX MAG

Open Data Repository Edmond

From March 31 to April 2, the Digital Change Symposium 2025 on the future of science management in the MPG took place at Kloster Seeon. The event, organized by the MPDL, brought together research coordinators, science communicators, and experts from research to discuss the use of AI in science, open science, science communication, decentralized science, and other digital opportunities.

On the arrival day of the symposium, an introduction round took place, featuring numerous retrospectives on previous Digital Change Symposia and insights into the working methods of experts in public relations and research coordinators. The symposium not only offered exciting contributions on topics such as the communication strategy of the Max Planck Society's institutes, it also included an adventurous knowledge hike around Lake Seeon and a round of scientific matchmaking, where research coordinators and public relations personnel were networked according to their areas of interest.

With a focus on innovations and trends related to digital transformation, the MPDL aims to stimulate discussion and contribute to jointly leveraging the opportunities of digital change for research and science. Located on a peninsula in Lake Seeon, Kloster Seeon provided the perfect atmosphere for knowledge exchange. The event was well-received and highlighted the growing demand within the MPG for the topics addressed. The MPDL thanks all participants and looks forward to seeing them again with new exciting topics!

The Max Planck Digital Library is happy to announce its contribution to TIB’s KOALA bundle for computer science and mathematics from 2025 to 2027:

Journal of Universal Computer Science – Covering all research areas in computer science
Electronic Transactions on Numerical Analysis – Advancing numerical analysis and scientific computing
Journal de l'École Polytechnique – Publishing top-tier research in applied and fundamental mathematics

Through this sponsorship, MPDL strengthens the sustainability of Diamond Open Access journals important to Max Planck researchers.

In supporting KOALA, the MPDL also demonstrates its continued commitment to maximizing the visibility of Max Planck authors’ research through open access, wherever they choose to publish, while contributing to a more diverse scholarly publishing system, in full alignment with the goals of the Berlin Declaration on Open Access and the Max Planck Society’s Open Access 2020 Initiative.

More Info:

KOALA: current consortia

The Max Planck Digital Library, in collaboration with GWDG, has integrated Llama 3.3-70B into Minerva Messenger. Hosted and managed by GWDG, this AI-powered addition enhances research, communication, and productivity for Max Planck users, allowing seamless interaction within their workflows.

Llama 3.3-70B is an AI model designed for complex reasoning, natural language understanding, and efficient problem-solving. It assists in research, text generation, programming, language translation, and brainstorming. Optimized for high-quality responses across various domains, it is a valuable tool for scientists, researchers, and professionals.

Users can engage with Llama 3.3-70B through direct messages and private channels. The integration ensures a streamlined experience with threaded responses that maintain context in conversations. The model’s instruction-tuned capabilities enhance user interactions by providing precise, context-aware answers.

In addition, it is now also possible to use ChatGPT o3-mini in Minerva Messenger to further increase the functionality and flexibility of the platform. ChatGPT o3-mini offers additional possibilities for interaction and supports users in a variety of tasks, from creative text creation to analysing complex data. The combination of Llama 3.3-70B and ChatGPT o3-mini in Minerva Messenger ensures that the Max Planck community has access to the most advanced AI tools to efficiently achieve its research and communication goals.

This initiative aligns with MPDL’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies for scientific and administrative applications. Whether refining text, troubleshooting code, or generating insights, both chatbots allow workflows that are more efficient.

Users seeking to explore additional AI models or API access can refer to Knowledge Base documentation. For support, the Minerva Messenger team is available to assist:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Experience AI-powered assistance within Minerva Messenger and enhance your workflow today!

The Max Planck Society's Edmond research data platform has reached a significant milestone: 1000 datasets from a wide range of scientific disciplines are now freely available on edmond.mpg.de. The publication of research data on so-called repositories - such as Edmond - offers the scientific community the opportunity to establish data as permanently citable research objects.

Edmond was launched in 2014, when researchers published the first seven datasets. Since then, the repository has grown steadily, with 263 datasets uploaded in 2024. The size of the uploaded files varies greatly, from a few bytes to over 100 gigabytes.

The content could not be more diverse either: You can find videos of honey bees (Videos for honey bee lifetime tracking data), but also software code (Balsac download package) and time series of visibility measurements in the Amazon rainforest (Fog dataset at ATTO). A total of around 195,000 individual files are contained in the 1000 Edmond datasets.

Edmond offers a variety of functions to facilitate the publication and findability of research data:

• The assignment of DOI numbers (Digital Object Identifiers) for each published dataset.
• The ability to store multiple files in one dataset and support for different file formats
• The versioning of datasets to document changes

Edmond has also been awarded the CoreTrustSeal. The seal of approval stands for the trustworthiness of data repositories. Technical standards such as regular backups play a role here, as do organizational standards (long-term financing) and data quality (curation and metadata).
By reaching 1000 datasets on Edmond, the scientists of the Max Planck Society are sending a clear signal about the importance of openly accessible data in science.

The Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics contributed the 1000th dataset: "Momentum resolved fingerprint of Mottness in layer dimerized Nb3Br8"

More info:

Edmond – the Open Research Data Repository of the Max Planck Society

The OA2020 Initiative, coordinated by the Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) on behalf of the Max Planck Society, will host the 17th Berlin Open Access Conference (B17) on February 5-6, 2025 at Harnack House, Berlin. The conference is entitled "Moving OA Forward: From Transformation to Collective Responsibility".

Continuing the Max Planck Society’s leadership in making research openly accessible for the benefit of science and society, B17 will bring together negotiators and institutional leaders from over 40 countries to chart the next phase of the global open access transition in science communication. Thanks to MPDL’s leadership, over 90% of research from its institutes is now published openly, demonstrating open access negotiations as a viable open access pathway for the global community. Yet, while transformative open access agreements negotiated by institutions around the world have unlocked millions of research articles, many challenges remain. In particular, ensuring that all authors, regardless of their financial background, can publish based solely on the quality of their work—without encountering financial barriers—is a critical task. In an era where AI technologies are rapidly reshaping science communication, preserving author rights and ensuring publishing integrity also remains a core challenge.

Co-chaired by Prof. Dr. Ulrich Pöschl (Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz) and Prof. Dr. Gerard Meijer (Fritz Haber Institute, Berlin), B17 will provide a platform for negotiators to align around shared principles and priorities, defining concrete actions that will drive the open access movement forward and strengthening foundations for a truly open science ecosystem.

Stay tuned for the conference outcomes, shared globally with the research community.

More Info:

17th Berlin Open Access Conference Website

This year's annual Open Science Ambassadors Meeting took place at the Harnack House in Berlin from November 6-7, 2024, bringing together experts and enthusiasts from the scientific community to discuss the latest developments and best practices in Open Science.

The two-day meeting focused on several key topics, including the increasing importance of digitality in science, the current status of Open Science in the Max Planck Society, and the challenges and opportunities of implementing FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) research data management.

The meeting featured a range of workshops and talks, including a session on "Research Software Engineering for Reproducible High Performance Scientific Computing," which included a lively discussion on questions and challenges regarding reproducible research software engineering.

The Open Science Ambassadors (OSA) also presented a talk on "Open Science in the Max Planck Society," highlighting the Society's commitment to Open Science and our efforts to promote a culture of openness and collaboration among the researchers.

In a unique and collaborative effort, the OSA organized a workshop on "Speed Drafting of Policy Language," where participants worked together to draft policy language on Open Science. This hands-on approach allowed participants to engage with the policy-making process and to contribute their expertise and insights to the development of Open Science policies.

The Open Science Ambassadors Meeting was a valuable opportunity for MPG scientists and staff to come together and discuss the latest developments and best practices in Open Science. The meeting highlighted the importance of collaboration, innovation, and openness in advancing scientific research and promoting a more inclusive and equitable scientific community.

Join us for an online follow-up meeting on February 12, from 3-5 PM, as our community reconvenes. The Open Science Ambassadors will present their achievements and future plans at their respective institutes. It is also a chance for everyone to join who could not attend the Berlin event in November. We warmly welcome all contributions and are eager to learn about the latest Open Science developments at the MPIs.

More Info:

Open Science Ambassadors Meeting 2024

OSA Follow-Up Meeting

We are excited to announce that Minerva Messenger is now part of the MPG Single Sign-On (SSO) ecosystem!

This enhancement is a step forward in simplifying secure access for Max Planck Society users, boosting the usability and efficiency of MPDL's messenger tool.
The MPG SSO integration enables MPG employees to log in to Minerva Messenger using their institutional credentials, eliminating the need to manage separate accounts or passwords. This not only saves time but also ensures a seamless and secure experience across the platform, fostering smoother collaboration within the MPG community.
Minerva Messenger continues to serve as a central hub for effective and efficient communication among MPG researchers, staff, and external collaborators.

The addition of MPG SSO further strengthens the Messenger's role as an indispensable tool for collaboration.
Ready to try it? Log in now using MPG SSO and enjoy smoother access to Minerva Messenger!

More info:
Read the full guide in our Minerva Messenger knowledge base.

OA Switchboard has announced a plugin for PKP's Open Journal Systems (OJS), designed to enhance visibility and streamline reporting for diamond open access journals. The development has been made possible by funding from the Max Planck Digital Library.

A community-led initiative, OA Switchboard simplifies information sharing across different stakeholders about open access publications across the publication journey. This new plugin will allow publishers using OJS to seamlessly connect to OA Switchboard, streamlining reporting to research funders, libraries, and consortia, and making it easier to share OA output and metadata with key stakeholders. This tool will also provide publishers with improved management information and insights into their portfolio and stakeholder relationships.

Ádám Dér, Head of Scientific Information Services at the MPDL, says: "The MPDL is proud to contribute to the development of open infrastructure that facilitates the streamlining of processes in the ever-complex world of open academic publishing. In line with the Max Planck Society's vision of barrier-free access to scientific knowledge, we remain dedicated to creating the conditions for open scholarly processes for our researchers and the global scientific community. We're honored to support the creation of a plug-in that enables standardized OA reporting for OJS publishers via the OA Switchboard, which also elevates their position and visibility among libraries, consortia, and funders."

For more details, please see the full announcement here

A tale of service excellence, breaking paywalls and global leadership:
MPG’s Scientific Information Provision celebrates 25 years of supporting research

The Max Planck Society is thrilled to mark the 25th anniversary of its Scientific Information Provision ("Literatur-Grundversorgung"), the core service provided by the Max Planck Digital Library that gives our researchers near-universal access to the literature they need to advance their work, while ensuring their results reach a wide audience.

Imagine coming home after a long day, flipping a switch, and instantly having light. You likely don’t think about all the infrastructure behind it—the work that goes into making something so basic and necessary available at your fingertips. For researchers, access to knowledge is just as vital. If you’ve ever been blocked by a paywall when trying to access a research article or textbook, you’ll understand how essential easy access to scientific works can be.

Twenty-five years ago, at the onset of the digital age, the Max Planck Society saw the potential of a centralized infrastructure to deliver universal information services for all of the institutes in an efficient and cost-effective way that, in close collaboration with the local libraries, could give the best possible support to our researchers. This visionary idea was the origin of what we call the Scientific Information Provision (or “Literatur-Grundversorgung”, in German)—a strategic service aimed at ensuring that all our scientists have access to the literature they need to thrive. It transformed the way we work, with an impact that has reached far beyond the walls of our institutes.

What began as an innovative concept has grown into one of the world’s leading research libraries. Today, the Max Planck Digital Library, which upon its creation became responsible for the management and development of the provision, handles more than 200 licenses that ensure seamless access to over 17,000 peer-reviewed journals and 900,000 e-books. This success is thanks to a devoted team that understands the needs of our researchers and librarians and works closely with service providers to deliver the tools and support they need, as well as the Max Planck institutes, who dedicated a portion of their budgets to launch this initiative.

But the significance of the Scientific Information Provision extends beyond mere convenience. It reflects a larger mission: not just to access existing knowledge, but to amplify the research produced by the Max Planck Society and make it accessible to as many people as possible. This vision aligns with the goals of the Berlin Declaration on Open Access, of which the Max Planck Society was a key signatory and advocate. Through the global push for open scholarship, libraries like ours have become not just custodians of information but champions of global knowledge-sharing, ensuring that research is freely available and highly visible.

Achieving universal access to scientific knowledge requires global alignment and cooperation. The Max Planck Society has been a leader in this effort, with MPDL taking on an important position that has influenced and inspired peers around the world in the common goal of open scholarship. In Germany, we have been key contributors to national open access agreements (the groundbreaking DEAL agreements). And through its coordination of the global initiatives OA2020 and ESAC, the MPDL has shaped the evolution of scholarly publishing, creating strategic and practical frameworks to make open access a reality, and earning recognition for its significant impact in fostering a better world.

As we celebrate this 25th anniversary, we reflect with pride on all we've accomplished for our researchers and the wider academic community. Just as the infrastructure behind a light switch makes life easier without us even thinking about it, our work has quietly empowered research and discovery. We look ahead, more committed than ever to leading the charge toward open scholarship and embracing the challenges that will continue to power a brighter, more accessible future for science.

If you have any questions or feedback about the MPG Scientific Information Provision, we’d love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

MPDL is excited to announce a groundbreaking collaboration with the University College London (UCL) Department of Computer Science. The SciBoost – Decentral Continuous Publication project aims to revolutionize how research findings are shared and accessed.

SciBoost is designed to enhance openness in the scientific community by providing a transparent, accountable, and decentralized system. This innovative platform will ensure that all research findings, including minor results, negative results, publications, and technology transfers, are accounted for and accessible. The continuous updates and corrections facilitated by SciBoost will ensure that research and credit attribution communication remains accurate, fostering transparency and integrity in scientific research.

Within the SciBoost project, UCL and MPDL will focus on creating a decentralized, continuous process that integrates: data harvesting, modeling, discovery, collaboration, publication, and knowledge transfer of research data. This comprehensive approach aims to streamline the research process and make scientific data more accessible and reliable. The collaboration manifests the first milestone in combining traditional and decentralized science methods with two renowned research institutions, MPG and UCL.

"I am thrilled to explore the potential impact of what we call continuous publishing. This concept allows research findings to be shared and published as they emerge. Publications can evolve, change, and diverge in different directions, reflecting the dynamic nature of the research process, which is not linear and doesn't conclude with a single publication. The idea of continuous publishing aims to capture exactly this essence." Says Friederike Kleinfercher, deputy general manager of the Max Planck Digital Library. "It is equally important to involve existing publishers and to complement the current processes in academic publishing, rather than introducing new, parallel processes that would complicate scholarly work," adds Tomaso Aste, Professor of Complexity Science at UCL.

We look forward to the innovative solutions and advancements from this collaboration. Stay tuned for more updates on the SciBoost project!

On September 16 and 17, the MPDL participated in the 2024 LeadNet Symposium, which took place at the Harnack House in Berlin.

The LeadNet Symposium is an annual networking event for scientists with leadership responsibilities within the Max Planck Society. It serves as a platform for discussing scientific and organizational topics and promotes interaction between research group leaders. This year, around 50 group leaders attended the event to share their scientific and technological insights, work as well as common career and administrative challenges.

The symposium began with a warm welcome from the LeadNet Steering Committee. The first day offered a variety of exciting program points, including several notable lectures and a keynote speech by Gerd Gigerenzer from the MPI for Human Development. The highlight of the day was the Scientific Speed Dating, where research leaders were encouraged to network and exchange ideas about their projects and roles within the Max Planck Society.

On the second day, the MPDL led two workshops: The "Open Science" workshop aimed to inform participants about the principles and practices that make scientific research more accessible, transparent, and collaborative. The "AI-tools in science" workshop provided insights into the use of AI technologies to promote scientific discoveries and innovations.

The event provided the ideal framework for discussing the scientific requirements and recent challengeges of research group leaders in more detail. The MPDL looks forward to being part of the next LeadNet Symposium again and continuing the exchange of knowledge with group leaders of the MPG.

More Info:

LeadNet website

From September 9 to 13, 2024, the joint Open Science Summer School of the LMU Open Science Center and the Max Planck Digital Library took place in Munich.

The five-day event, which was aimed in particular at researchers at the beginning of their scientific careers, focused on the transparency, reproducibility and credibility of research.

In his lecture “Science as amateur software development”, Professor Richard McElreath from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology gave participants tips on how to incorporate insights from software development into their research work. In his sessions on the “reproducibility crisis” and “data sharing”, Professor Felix Schönbrodt from the LMU Open Science Center called for more transparency and openness during the research process. The motto was: “as open as possible, and as closed as necessary”.

One of the highlights of the Summer School was the panel discussion titled “Open Science incentives and institutional change”, which focused on how to create incentives to further integrate open science methods into the scientific community.

More than 100 young scientists had registered for the coveted places, 40 were selected and were able to participate – 20 in person and 20 online. Numerous lectures were open to the public online, with more than 450 participants from around the world registered to view them.

Materials from the Summer School, including recordings of the lectures, presentations and workshop documents.

More info:

Open Science in Practice Website

Open Science in Practice mailing list

The Max Planck Digital Library has concluded a groundbreaking agreement with the renowned publisher Mohr Siebeck to ensure support for Open Access publications for scientists at the Max Planck Institutes. Under this agreement, the MPDL will cover the additional costs incurred by publishing in Open Access for monographs and edited volumes in which researchers from the Max Planck Society and its institutes are involved.

Press release

June 17-18, 2024 | Munich: Over 50 Max Planck researchers from more than 20 Max Planck Institutes have met at the MPDL in Munich to discuss a broad range of AI-related topics regarding using AI tools in research.
In addition to researchers and support staff, the meet-up also counted the participation of representatives from the GWDG and the MPCDF, which, together with the MPDL, provide different AI services for the MPG.

The objective of the meet-up was to create an instance of exchange and sharing of know-how of tools or processes that incorporate AI to accelerate research.
Researchers valued the opportunity to connect with other fellow Max Planck researchers who are early adopters of AI- tools in the context of research. A common worry researchers share is the fast pace of development and the arrival of new tools almost on a weekly basis, which can quickly become overwhelming. The lack of training on how to use AI for research, including best practices, was another point voiced by participants. Another realization of the meet-up was that several AI services are already being offered in the MPG via the MPDL, the GWDG, and the MPCDF, but most participants needed to be made aware of them.

This was in contrast, for example, to the situation in the Fraunhofer Society, which developed a dedicated and centralized AI portal in 2023 called FhGenie and which was presented by Prof. Ingo Weber as an external guest at the meet-up.
The meet-up marks a significant step forward for the MPG in embracing and integrating AI tools into its research processes. Despite the challenges and rapid developments in AI technology, this gathering underscored the community's commitment to fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the effective use of AI tools across the MPIs. By bringing together researchers, support staff, and representatives from key service providers like the GWDG, MPCDF, and the MPDL, the event highlighted the vast potential for AI to enhance research outcomes and efficiency. This event addressed current challenges and set the stage for a closer, more AI-knowledgeable research community within the MPG, envisioning a future where AI tools are naturally integrated into scientific work.

In a fruitful discussion at the 4th Blockchain Roundtable held at the Deutscher Bundestag, key figures from the legal and tech worlds came together, discussing “Code is Law? Adapting Our Legal System to Smart Contracts and Legal Tech”. The event, featuring Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann and Member of Parliament Frank Schäffler, delved into how the German legal system can adapt to the rapidly evolving landscape of technology.

On behalf of the Max Planck Gesellschaft and the bloxberg Association for the Advancement of Science and Blockchain, MPDL’s Sandra Vengadasalam took part in the discussion.

The roundtable was not just a high-level theoretical debate but also addressed practical concerns, particularly those of the bloxberg Association and the DeSci (Decentralized Science) community. Amongst the topics discussed were the bloxberg timestamps, also known as Research Object Certificates, and their legal standing in Germany, especially in the context of intellectual property (IP) protection.

The good news is that the German civil code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, BGB) apparently is well-equipped to accommodate such innovative tools, suggesting that bloxberg certificates could play a crucial role in resolving IP disputes. This is a significant step forward for researchers and innovators looking for reliable ways to protect their work.

More Info:

bloxberg Association for the Advancement of Science and Blockchain

4th Blockchain Roundtable 

The MPDL has subscribed to CEU Press’s Opening the Future programme, providing all at Max Planck Society with unlimited and concurrent access to 100 different eBooks on subjects including Central and Eastern European history from medieval times to the fall of communism, and socio-political, economic and cultural changes, both past and present, across Central and Eastern Europe.

Read the full announcement here

April 23, 2024, Munich – The Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) was honored to host a visit from a distinguished delegation, including MPG President Patrick Cramer, Vice President Sibylle Günter, and General Secretary Simone Schwanitz. This visit underscores a significant milestone in the MPDL's journey, highlighting the critical role of our work within the Max Planck Society.
Throughout the day, the MPDL team had the opportunity to showcase our latest projects, achievements, and the innovative solutions we are developing to address contemporary challenges. The discussions with our guests were not only enlightening but also reflected a shared commitment to advancing research excellence.The visit from the leadership of the Max Planck Society is a testament to the MPDL's impactful work and its pivotal role in advancing digital research services and tools.

The MPDL extends its heartfelt thanks to the delegation for their time and the encouragement provided to our team. This memorable day serves as a catalyst for future endeavors, reinforcing our dedication to excellence in research and innovation.

From March 19-21, the Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) hosted its 6th Research Data Management (RDM) workshop, at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg. This gathering united colleagues from Max Planck Institutes across Germany, creating a vibrant forum for the exchange of knowledge and experiences in RDM.

The workshop started with an onboarding course in Research Data Management, setting the stage for insightful discussions that followed. Over the next two days, participants explored RDM activities from various institutes, engaging deeply with topics such as software licensing, RDM policies, Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELNs), and data protection issues. Contributions from speakers representing the Fraunhofer Society, Leibniz Association, and Helmholtz Association broadened the discussions, offering diverse perspectives on the challenges and tools related to RDM.
A unique feature of this year's workshop was its venue - the planetarium within the House of Astronomy at the MPIA. This inspiring setting was not just a backdrop but a central part of the event, with a keynote talk on the use of Artificial Intelligence in Astronomy, a guided tour of the historical astronomical observatory, and engaging presentations at the planetarium.

A big thank you to all the contributors, and the MPIA, for its invitation and organization that made this event a memorable experience. The collaborative spirit and shared insights have once again highlighted the workshop as a cornerstone event for fostering RDM practices within the Max Planck Society. The 6th RDM workshop has underscored the MPDL's commitment to advancing research data management within the Max Planck Society, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning in this evolving field.

More info:
RDM Homepage

At the core of the Max Planck Digital Library's mission, Minerva Messenger emerges, based on Mattermost: Born from the necessity of seamless collaboration during the unforeseen challenges of 2020, this platform has quickly become a valuable communication tool for the MPG.

Minerva Messenger was developed by MPDL's forward-thinking approach and the critical requirement for a secure, intuitive platform. This service not only facilitates effortless communication but also enables MPG researchers and their collaboration partners to share documents securely, manage projects through dedicated channels, and collaborate in real time, ensuring that innovation continues unabated.

Discover the whole story of how the service came to life and what features you get as an MPG researcher here.

More info:

Minerva Messenger

Minerva Messenger Knowledge Base

The MPDL is pleased to announce its ongoing participation in the Germany-wide transformative open access agreements with Wiley and Springer Nature. On behalf of the Max Planck Society, the MPDL has again signed up for the two agreements, ensuring that Max Planck researchers can continue to publish their work open access at no cost to them, while also maintaining access to the publishers’ journal portfolios.

The opt-in agreements with two publishers were negotiated by the DEAL Konsortium, on behalf of the Alliance of Science Organizations in Germany. Having achieved the required institutional participation rates, the contracts are now officially in place, running from 1 January 2024 through 31 December 2028.

Read the announcement on the DEAL Konsortium webpage

More info
Information for authors (Wiley)
Information for authors (Springer Nature)
List of Wiley and Springer Nature journals on the MPG OA Journal Finder

The Max Planck Digital Library has renewed the read and publish agreement with The Company of Biologists. The agreement will run from 1 January 2024 until 31 December 2026, and corresponding authors at Max Planck Society’s 86 institutes can continue to publish research articles immediately Open Access (OA) in our hybrid journals (Development, Journal of Cell Science and Journal of Experimental Biology) and our fully Open Access journals (Disease Models & Mechanisms and Biology Open) without paying an article processing charge (APC). Researchers at participating institutions also benefit from unlimited access to our hybrid journals, including their full archives dating back to 1853.

“We at the MPDL are delighted to extend our collaboration with The Company of Biologists, which means we can continue to offer our researchers the possibility to publish open access in all the publisher’s journals as well as access to all previously published content," says Ádám Dér, Head of the Scientific Information Provision at MPDL. "Providing these opportunities to our authors is at the heart of our overall strategy in the world of scholarly publishing, in line with the Max Planck Society’s vision of openness, which in turn reflects the principles of the OA2020 Initiative and the Berlin Declaration on Open Access.”

Read the full announcement here

More info

Information for Max Planck authors

OA2020 Initiative

The Open Science Days 2024 took place on January 29 -30. After the unfortunate news about the train workers union strike, the event switched to a virtual format. This did not hinder avid participation and exciting new discourses forming on all facets of Open Science. Two days of excellent presentations have left us with creatively racing thoughts. 

It started right away with an all-around presentation by Open Science Coordinator Sünje Dallmeier-Tiessen from CERN. The Open Science Group there offers services at every imaginable level. Of particular interest here is the brand new Open Source Program Office, which even takes care of Open Hardware. After a long break, we had a contribution on the subject of Open Access. Our colleague Ádám Dér from the MPDL, who heads the Scientific Information Provision Department, gave us all an excellent overview of current developments in this area. Inga Ulusoy told us about the Scientific Software Center (SSC) at Heidelberg University. This central facility offers an incredible all-around carefree package in the field of Research Software for its scientists, which is undoubtedly unparalleled in this form in Germany. Reproducibility, which is always of central importance for Open Science, was covered in the vast European project Tier2. The ambitious plans were presented by Alexandra Bannach-Brown from the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH). The Face Game project at the MPI for Human Development combines several exciting aspects: this Citizen Science project is about humans' decision-making processes and artificial intelligence. All of this is strongly combined with game principles – science can be fun! We also delved into other topics, such as Open Science Monitors, Open Research Data, and Knowledge Graphs.

We would like to thank all the speakers and participants for this wonderful and active conference. 

If you are interested in getting the whole insights into our Open Science Days 2024, you are welcome to check out the speaker presentations that will be gradually published on the Open Science Days homepage.

More info:

Open Science Days Website

Speaker Presentations here