The i3 BigQuery Workspace: Shared Infrastructure for Open Science

Large-scale open datasets have transformed empirical research on science and innovation, but working with these data presents persistent challenges: computational barriers, provider dependence, reproducibility difficulties, transparency gaps, and resource inequality across institutions. We describe the i3 BigQuery Workspace, a shared cloud platform that hosts curated datasets (including OpenAlex, PatentsView, and community-contributed resources like Reliance on Science) and enables researchers to query terabyte-scale data in seconds, integrates multiple sources, and implements advanced tools like machine learning at scale. We document examples of research enabled by this infrastructure and discuss how shared data resources can improve research efficiency and expand the scope of feasible research in the economics of science and innovation.