Robert-Jan Smits

Robert-Jan Smits. He is a prominent Dutch policy advisor and former senior official renowned for his transformative leadership in European Union research, innovation, and science policy. His career, primarily within the European Commission, has been defined by championing ambitious initiatives to reshape the global scientific publishing landscape and strengthen Europe's research ecosystem. Smits is best known as the architect of Plan S, a radical international push for immediate open access to publicly funded research, which sparked a worldwide debate on scholarly communication.

Early life and education

Born in Eindhoven, a city known for its high-tech industry and the Philips company, Smits developed an early interest in international affairs and policy. He pursued higher education at Utrecht University, where he earned a degree in International law and Political science. To further specialize in global policy, he attended the prestigious Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in the United States, earning a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy. This academic foundation in both European and international perspectives prepared him for a career at the intersection of science, diplomacy, and administration.

Career at the European Commission

Smits joined the European Commission in 1988, beginning a long tenure that would see him rise to influential positions. He held various posts related to research policy, international cooperation, and EU enlargement. A significant early role was as a member of the cabinet of European Commissioner for Research Philippe Busquin, where he helped shape the Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. He later served as Deputy Director-General in the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, contributing to the development of the European Research Area and the Innovation Union flagship initiative.

Open Access advocacy and Plan S

Smits's most defining contribution came through his fervent advocacy for Open Access. As Director-General for Research and Innovation from 2010, he grew increasingly concerned about the high costs and access barriers of subscription-based academic journals. In 2018, he spearheaded the launch of Plan S, an initiative cOAlition S, funded by major national research agencies like Science Europe and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The plan mandated that from 2021, all scientific publications resulting from publicly funded grants must be immediately available in open access repositories or journals, challenging the dominant business models of major publishers like Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Wiley.

Leadership roles in research and innovation

Beyond open access, Smits held several key leadership roles focused on strengthening European science. He played a central part in designing and negotiating the massive Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. In 2019, he was appointed as the first Open Access Envoy for the European Commission, a dedicated role to advance the open access agenda across member states. His expertise was also sought in high-level advisory capacities, such as serving on the board of the German Council of Science and Humanities and advising the Government of Slovenia on its presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Later career and advisory positions

After leaving the European Commission, Smits transitioned into prominent advisory and executive roles within the global research landscape. He served as President of the Executive Board of Eindhoven University of Technology, applying his policy experience to university leadership. He was also appointed as a Senior Advisor for Open Access and Innovation to the President of the European University Association. Internationally, he took on the role of Senior Fellow at the Schmidt Futures initiative and served as a board member for the Open Research Funders Group, continuing to influence open science policy beyond European institutions.

Category:Dutch civil servants Category:European Commission officials Category:Open access activists Category:1961 births Category:Living people