This presentation focused on open research data — data that can be used, reused and redistributed freely by anyone — as a key aspect of open science practices. The benefits of making data openly accessible and FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) for researchers and the scientific community will be discussed. The Helmholtz Association actively supports this cultural shift towards open and FAIR data by providing robust FAIR data infrastructures (via HMC and strategic support to NFDI) and clear research data policies. This makes it easier for valuable datasets created by Helmholtz researchers to be shared and combined within the global scientific community, maximising their impact.