In today’s knowledge-based society, science plays a fundamental role in generating, disseminating, and applying knowledge. While knowledge has always been a key driver of societal development, contemporary society can be more precisely defined as a modern knowledge society, characterized by the widespread influence of scientific advancements across all domains of life (Stehr 2023, p. V). With the increasing importance of knowledge production, the long-standing debate on the role of science in society has regained momentum, being examined from multiple perspectives. One manifestation of this shift is the growing openness of research institutions, particularly universities, towards their social and economic environments. Universities are increasingly expected to contribute not only through teaching and research but also by engaging in societal and industrial collaboration, thereby addressing pressing global challenges (HRK 2017).

A prominent concept that responds to these societal expectations is knowledge transfer, often framed as the third mission of universities. Beyond teaching and research, universities are now actively involved in transferring scientific insights into practice through collaboration with industry, policy, and civil society. While this shift offers substantial potential, it also comes with constraints, such as the risk of commercialization, conflicting institutional priorities, and the challenge of integrating transfer activities into traditional academic structures (Compagnucci & Spigarelli 2020). The importance of the third mission is further reflected in European higher education policy, where the European University Association (EUA) has explicitly positioned knowledge transfer as a core function of universities, equal in status to teaching and research. The EUA’s 2006 strategy paper emphasizes fostering industrial and regional partnerships, building networks, and enhancing mutual understanding between academia and external stakeholders (European University Association 2006).

Parallel to the growing emphasis on transfer, the concept of Open Science has gained traction as another major development shaping the research landscape. Open Science promotes collaborative, transparent, and accessible research practices, emphasizing the early and widespread sharing of knowledge, research findings, and tools (European Commission 2025). Unlike transfer, which is often institutionally driven, Open Science has its roots in diverse movements advocating for scientific openness and participation—whether among researchers, policymakers, or citizens (Fecher & Friesike 2014). Open Science is particularly relevant in the European Union’s research agenda, with strong political support aimed at enhancing innovation, societal impact, and research accessibility.

Both Open Science and Transfer are central to educational research, as they address fundamental challenges in the field. In a rapidly evolving educational landscape, researchers must navigate increasing demands for accessibility, impact, and collaboration. Moreover, key themes in both concepts—such as knowledge co-creation, access, and dissemination—align closely with educational research’s focus on learning, knowledge transmission, and institutional development. Despite their shared goal of bridging research and practice, Open Science and Transfer operate through distinct mechanisms and are underpinned by different theoretical and institutional frameworks. Understanding their differences, overlaps, and potential synergies is crucial for advancing the impact of educational research.

This paper explores how these two concepts interact, complement or diverge in their approaches to knowledge dissemination and application. By analysing open science and transfer, this proposal contributes to a deeper understanding of their role in shaping educational research and offers insights into how they can be used to maximise societal and academic impact.

The proposed paper can be seen as a first approach to two terms that promise to build bridges in educational science. To this end, it first provides a theoretical description of both terms, transfer and open science, with their historical roots, characteristics and elements. In a further step, the terms are compared on the basis of their differences and similarities. Finally, strategies from practice are presented as examples of how the concepts are used and thus influence educational research.

This contribution provides a comparison of two important frameworks influencing current educational research. The outputs provide insights into how open science and transfer can be used to improve knowledge accessibility, social engagement and institutional collaboration and embed these in educational research. This contributes to the identification of strategies to optimise the impact of educational research.

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