1. Purpose
This policy establishes Hybrid Core BV's commitment to conducting research and innovation activities with the highest standards of integrity, rigour, and ethical responsibility. It applies to all research funded by or conducted in collaboration with the European Commission and other public or private research funders.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all research and innovation activities undertaken by Hybrid Core BV, including those conducted under Horizon Europe, the European Defence Fund, Digital Europe Programme, and other EU or national funding instruments. It applies to all employees, contractors, and subcontractors involved in research activities.
3. Policy statement
Hybrid Core BV is committed to research and innovation that is honest, rigorous, transparent, and conducted with respect for the persons, communities, and environments it may affect. We recognise that public trust in research depends on maintaining the highest standards of conduct and that failure to do so undermines both scientific progress and our responsibilities as a publicly funded organisation.
4. Principles
4.1 Honesty and accuracy
Research must be conducted, reported, and communicated honestly. Results must be reported accurately, including negative or inconclusive findings. Selective reporting, data manipulation, and misrepresentation of results are prohibited.
4.2 Rigour
Research must be conducted with methodological rigour appropriate to the field. Methods, tools, and analytical approaches must be fit for purpose and described with sufficient detail to allow independent verification.
4.3 Transparency and openness
Hybrid Core BV supports open science principles where applicable and as permitted by confidentiality, security, and IP obligations. Research data, methods, and results should be made accessible to the extent possible and consistent with contractual and legal requirements.
4.4 Independence and objectivity
Research conclusions must be based on evidence and sound reasoning, free from undue influence by funders, partners, or commercial interests. Any potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed and managed appropriately.
4.5 Respect for persons and communities
Research involving human participants, personal data, or communities must be conducted with appropriate ethical safeguards, including informed consent where required, protection of privacy and dignity, and oversight by an appropriate ethics review body.
4.6 Responsible authorship and attribution
Authorship of research outputs must reflect genuine intellectual contribution. Guest authorship, gift authorship, and ghost authorship are not acceptable. All contributors must be acknowledged appropriately.
4.7 Intellectual property and exploitation
Research outputs and intellectual property generated during funded projects must be managed in accordance with the terms of the relevant grant agreement and the company's IP policy. Exploitation activities must comply with the commitments made to funders and consortium partners.
4.8 Ethics review
Research activities that involve human participants, personal data, AI systems, dual-use technologies, or other ethically sensitive areas must be subject to appropriate ethics review before commencement. Ethics self-assessments required by EU funding instruments must be completed accurately and in good faith.
5. Research misconduct
The following constitute research misconduct and will not be tolerated:
- Fabrication: inventing data, results, or findings
- Falsification: manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or altering data without justification
- Plagiarism: appropriating the ideas, methods, data, or text of others without proper attribution
- Misrepresentation of qualifications, experience, or results to secure funding
- Failure to declare conflicts of interest
- Breach of research ethics approval conditions
6. Responsibilities
6.1 Management
Management is responsible for ensuring that research activities are conducted within an appropriate governance framework, that ethics reviews are completed where required, and that any instances of research misconduct are investigated promptly and reported to funders where applicable.
6.2 Research staff
All research staff are responsible for conducting their work with integrity, for raising concerns about potential misconduct, and for completing any required ethics training relevant to their activities.
7. Reporting and compliance
Suspected research misconduct should be reported to management or via the Whistleblowing Policy. The company will investigate all credible reports. Where misconduct is confirmed in the context of an EU-funded project, the relevant programme officer will be notified as required. Hybrid Core BV does not retaliate against individuals who report concerns in good faith.
8. Monitoring and review
Research governance is reviewed as part of the company's overall compliance and audit activities. This policy will be reviewed every two years or when required by changes in funder requirements or applicable law.
9. Communication and awareness
Research integrity training is provided to all employees engaged in research activities. This policy and supporting guidelines are communicated at the start of each new project and published on internal systems.
10. Review cycle
This policy is reviewed every two years by the Hybrid Core Management Team or sooner when required by funding conditions or regulatory changes.
11. Version control
Version: 1.0
Owner: Hybrid Core Management Team
Approved by: Hybrid Core Management
Effective Date: 01.06.2026
Review Period: Every 2 Years