According to the Development Strategy of the University of Maribor 2013–2020, with which the slogan “Create your future!” was first adopted, the implementation of open access to scientific documents, data and research results is of key importance for the realisation of UM’s scientific, artistic, research and development strategy.

In the Development Strategy of the University of Maribor Library 2015–2020, one of the indicators for the integration of librarianship and publishing at the University of Maribor is the implementation of open access to educational content. By enforcing open access in the field of scientific and university publishing, with the emergence of educational content, text documents and audio-visual material, the characteristics of which are that they are openly accessible and intended for teaching, learning and research, especially remotely, new publishing models have emerged, based on freely accessible knowledge transfer with an emphasis on sharing knowledge with others.

The University of Maribor committed to adhering to the principles of the Leiden Manifesto for Research Metrics, which was published on 23 April 2015 in Nature. In addition to the DORA Declaration, this Manifesto is the second major international initiative to improve the quality of research work.

In its Development Strategy of the University of Maribor Library 2021–2025, which contains a rich description of current achievements in the field of open access, the University of Maribor has set itself 24 development goals. Six of these goals are associated with open access, namely Goal 4 (obtaining and making available library material and information resources from different scientific fields), Goal 5 (creating virtual knowledge – streaming content), Goal 6 (providing easy access to library material and information resources), Goal 9 (promoting openness and visibility of the University of Maribor in the national and international research area), Goal 10 (establishment of the Slovenian Open Science Community), Goal 11 (research integrity – research supporting services).

The University of Maribor became a member of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), the mission of which is to improve research evaluation methods and processes. It supports the integration of diverse research results, practices, and activities in evaluating research, researchers and research organisations to increase the quality and impact of research. This requires an assessment based primarily on qualitative evaluation, supported by the responsible use of quantitative indicators, aligning with the UM strategy.

On 1 January 2023, the University of Maribor, in cooperation with the University of Maribor Library, launched the RRP project entitled Z odprtim dostopom do vseživljenjskega izobraževanja ODVIj (Eng. Open Access for Lifelong Education), which will last until 31 December 2025. This pilot project aims to clarify open-access operations according to the principles of open science. Various activities are being performed within this project’s scope to establish a bridge between the academic and non-economic environment and the general public for the benefit of the broader society, following the principles of Society 5.0. The pilot project is co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, and the European Union – NextGenerationEU.

The first edition of the Open Education Festival under the auspices of the UM Open Science Festival, FestUM, as part of the ODVIj RRP pilot project, to promote open education or wider promotion of open science and encouraging active cooperation in this field among various social stakeholders, under the slogan “Open Science Brings an Open Mind”.

On 26 November 2024, the Collegium of Deans of the University of Maribor, at its 28th session, confirmed the Plan for Adjusting Operations according to the Open Science Principles, according to which, earlier in 2024 the Statute of the University of Maribor and Code of Ethical Conduct of the University of Maribor were updated. We will continue to implement the plan following the national legislative framework and guidelines.

The second edition of the Open Education Festival under the auspices of the UM Open Science Festival, FestUM, as part of the ODVIj RRP pilot project, to promote open education or wider promotion of open science and encouraging active cooperation in this field among various social stakeholders. This edition was part of the 2024 Science Month, organised by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation.