At 4Science, innovation is not just a goal – it’s a long-term commitment to the global research community. Over the past four months, our team has played an important role in the merger of DSpace and DSpace-CRIS, contributing to the evolution of DSpace 10 into a more powerful, integrated platform.
10 years of 4Science and the future of DSpace; This milestone is even more special for us: 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of 4Science. And what better way to celebrate than by contributing to one of the most important transformations in the DSpace ecosystem?
A coincidence? We prefer to see it as the natural result of 10 years of expertise, vision, and continuous contribution to Open Science, working with colleagues who hold more than 20 years of experience in the open repositories domain
10 years of 4Science and the future of DSpace; Turning vision into reality
With a highly collaborative effort, our developers have successfully completed a large amount of tasks, delivering a significant set of DSpace-CRIS capabilities now embedded in DSpace 10.
This work helps DSpace enable institutions to transform a traditional repository into a true research information hub, where content, people, and projects are seamlessly connected and implement a variety of other uses cases in a richer context
What’s new for users
The features introduced in DSpace 10 bring new power and flexibility while keeping everything simple and intuitive:
- Edit items via submission forms.
A new “Edit” option allows users to update items using the familiar submission interface.
- Metadata-level visibility control
Researchers can decide what metadata (e.g. email or personal details) is public or private.
- Shared Workspaces for collaborative submissions
Teams can work together on submissions in progress within the same collection.
- UI-based submission form configuration
Admins can select submission forms directly from the interface: no more backend configuration needed.
- Human-friendly custom URLs
Clean, readable links replace technical identifiers, improving usability and sharing.
- Built-in social sharing tools
Content can be instantly shared via social media or email, boosting visibility.
- CMS-like content management
Homepage, news, and user agreements can now be edited easily via a flexible admin UI.
- Audit trails for full transparency
All changes are tracked and logged, improving control and compliance.
- Enhanced file access with download panel
Files are clearly visible and accessible directly on the item page.
- Author access to restricted files
Authors can download their own embargoed or restricted content.
- Advanced authority and relationships framework
Stronger support for linking entities like authors, projects, and publications.
- Structured (nested) metadata support
Complex data like authors and affiliations can now be organized more effectively.
- Safe email handling for testing environments
A “catch-all” feature ensures emails are safely redirected during testing.
Together, these capabilities bring DSpace closer to an integrated, interoperable platform designed to support many different repositories’ use cases.
A strong commitment to the community
Our contribution goes beyond development. 4Science has also been actively involved in the DSpace 10.0 Testathon, collaborating with the global community through testing activities and co-working sessions.
This hands-on participation helped ensure higher quality, greater stability, and a smoother release for everyone.
10 years of impact – and just getting started
The merger between DSpace and DSpace-CRIS is a major milestone for the entire community, and we are proud to be a key part of it.
As we celebrate our 10-year anniversary, this contribution represents not just a technical achievement, but a reflection of who we are:
a partner committed to innovation, collaboration, and the future of open research infrastructures.
So, coincidence or not, DSpace 10 and 4Science’s 10 years share something in common: they both mark a new era.