Advancing Open Science Hardware: Opportunities and Challenges in US Government Procurement

Executive Summary 

This report delves into government procurement for Open Science Hardware (OScH) solutions in the United States. OScH refers to scientific instruments, tools, and devices that are openly designed, developed, and shared, allowing anyone to use, modify, and distribute them. This approach aims to democratize access to scientific tools and foster a collaborative environment for rapid innovation.

The report examines the current state of government procurement for OScH. It identifies the experiences, opportunities, and challenges faced by stakeholders, including researchers, advocates, business owners, entrepreneurs, and government representatives. Through insights from over 20 semi-structured interviews, the report highlights best practices, proposes actionable recommendations, and explores strategies for enhancing government procurement’s effectiveness and impact in promoting OScH. 

The report reveals that, while there is growing awareness of the benefits of OScH, significant challenges remain. These challenges include a lack of understanding of OScH within government agencies, misconceptions about open source solutions, rigid procurement processes, and the influence of incumbent providers. On the other hand, opportunities exist in leveraging public procurement to stimulate demand, support small and innovative businesses, promote collaboration, enhance transparency and reproducibility in research, and drive policy and cultural change.

A case study on the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)’s procurement process for OScH illustrates successful strategies for avoiding vendor lock-in, fostering collaboration, and ensuring long-term maintainability. Based on the findings, the report presents a theoretical framework for public procurement of OScH, integrating conceptual models of public procurement innovation and the development of Open Science Hardware Businesses (OSHBs). 

The report concludes with recommendations for raising awareness, building capacities, developing infrastructure, creating incentives, fostering cultural change, and launching pilot projects to demonstrate OScH’s feasibility and benefits in real-world government applications. These steps aim to create a robust, inclusive, and collaborative scientific ecosystem, advancing the adoption and integration of OScH in government procurement practices.