Open Science – Time to unlock the potential of the digital age

This keynotes talk was given by Robert Terry at OPEN SCIENCE FAIR 2021 on 20 September 2021. Video is available online on YouTube.

In the last decade significant outbreaks in infectious diseases from influenza, Ebola, Zika and now Covid-19 have highlighted the necessity to rethink and reengineer how science is organised. We need to change how researchers are rewarded and ensure knowledge can be disseminated in ways that integrates data and literature across disciplines. The current system of research publication and reward has been found wanting, when we needed it most. Covid-19 is set to affect the planet for the near future and climate change will further impact our environment and health. These are significant challenges and we need to take equally significant brave and bold steps to rise to them. We must put in place more efficient, effective and equitable mechanisms to manage knowledge with the key aim to benefit human and environmental health. In this talk Robert will reflect on his 20 years of experience in developing open access and data sharing initiatives that included the human genome project at the Wellcome Trust to the open access initiatives at the World Health Organization.