OpenWebSearch.EU
Composition: OpenWebSearch.eu
The project has its origins in concerns over the imbalance of the search engine market. Despite being a backbone of our digital economy, web search is dominated and limited by a few gatekeepers like Google, Microsoft, Baidu or Yandex. Thus, information as public good, with free, unbiased and transparent access is not under public control anymore. This imbalance endangers democracy and limits the innovative potential of Europe’s research landscape and economy.
During the project the researchers will develop the core of a European Open Web Index (OWI) as a basis for a new Internet Search in Europe. In addition, the project will set the foundation for an open and extensible European open Web Search and Analysis Infrastructure (OWSAI), based on Europe’s values, principles, legislation and standards. An open web search will provide a true choice to users when selecting search engines based on their own preferences.
Our approach is based on four objectives, namely
- to develop a core suite of search, discovery and analytics services to create, maintain and utilize the OWI;
- to develop relevant search engine verticals and new search paradigms demonstrating the impact;
- to establish a network of European HPC-infrastructure, research and business organizations to pilot the OWSAI based on Europe’s values, principles, legislation, ethics and standards;
- to stimulate an ecosystem around the OWI.
The envisioned infrastructure will not only contribute to Europe’s sovereignty for navigating and searching the web, it will also empower Europe’s researchers, innovators and business to systematically tap into the Web as business and innovation resource, without paying huge upfront costs. This will be particularly crucial for future AI innovations and relevant for other European infrastructure like e.g. the European Open Science Cloud, GAIA-X.
Project runtime:
- 09/2022 – 08/2025
Scientific participants:
Project website:
Publications on this project: