The economic impact of open science: a scoping review.

Abstract

This article summarizes a comprehensive scoping review of the economic impact of open science (OS), examining empirical evidence from 2000 to 2023. It focuses on open access (OA), open/FAIR data (OFD), open source software (OSS) and open methods, assessing their contributions to efficiency gains in research production, innovation enhancement and economic growth. Evidence, although limited, indicates that OS accelerates research processes, reduces the related costs, fosters innovation by improving access to data and resources and this ultimately generates economic growth. Specific sectors, such as life sciences, are researched more and the literature exhibits substantial gains, mainly thanks to OFD and OA. OSS supports productivity, while the very limited studies on open methods indicate benefits in terms of productivity gains and innovation enhancement. However, gaps persist in the literature, particularly in fields like citizen science and open evaluation, for which no empirical findings on economic impact could be detected. Despite limitations, empirical evidence on specific cases highlight economic benefits. This review underscores the need for further metrics and studies across diverse sectors and regions to fully capture OS's economic potential.