Open by design: building sustainable research infrastructure

At Cottage Labs, we don’t just use open source, we produce it. The software, tools, and libraries we build are released openly, so clients and the wider community can use, adapt, and build on them. Open Source and Open Access aren’t add-ons for us; they shape how we design, build, and maintain research infrastructure, and how we work with organisations long term. Our focus is on creating systems that are transparent, sustainable, and able to evolve.

Why Open Source?

Open source is central to our approach. By working in the open, organisations can understand how their systems function, retain control over their platforms and data, and avoid reliance on proprietary suppliers. Open technologies make it easier to connect systems, align with shared standards, and grow over time. They reduce technical risk and support long-term sustainability.

We also contribute back to the projects we rely on, because research infrastructure is shared, and it only stays strong through active maintenance and improvement.

Why Open Access?

Open Access complements this approach. The organisations we work with exist to create and share knowledge, and Open Access ensures research remains discoverable, reusable, and accessible over time. It increases visibility and impact, supports funder requirements, and protects scholarly work for future audiences.

What This Means for Our Clients?

Working with Cottage Labs means investing in infrastructure designed for longevity. Our approach helps organisations:

• Retain control over platforms and data
• Reduce reliance on proprietary systems
• Adapt and extend systems as needs change
• Support openness, trust, and transparency
• Ensure long-term access to research outputs

This allows us to act as long-term partners, not just delivery vendors.

Building for the Long Term

Research infrastructure needs to last for decades, not just project cycles. By combining open-source software with Open Access principles, we help organisations build systems that remain maintainable, resilient, and aligned with their values.

A Practical Example: From Publications Router to DeepGreen

When we developed the Publications Router for Jisc, it was released as open source. A university consortium in Germany, KOBV, used that code to build DeepGreen, a national service supporting universities across Germany.

Later, they returned to us as the original authors to help improve and maintain the platform, and we’ve worked with DeepGreen since June 2021. In contrast, when the Publications Router moved to a closed-source model, further development was no longer shared, highlighting how quickly progress can be lost when openness is removed.

Learn more about DeepGreen