G20 R&I Ministers Endorse Open Innovation Strategy for Just and Sustainable Development

• October 1, 2024

At the G20 Research and Innovation (R&I) Ministers’ meeting, held in Manaus, Brazil, on September 18-19, global leaders gathered to discuss the theme of “Open Innovation for a Just and Sustainable Development.” The meeting culminated in a significant agreement, where ministers endorsed the G20’s open innovation strategy along with recommendations to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in science, technology, and innovation (STI).

One of the key elements of the agreement is the transition to open science, outlined in Recommendation 4, which focusses on fostering a more equitable and collaborative approach to scientific research and knowledge sharing. The recommendation addresses several critical areas:

1. Promoting a common understanding of open science through public participation, community engagement, and dialogue with diverse knowledge systems.
2. Prioritising equitable access and contributions to open science, ensuring all stakeholders benefit from science communication and open access initiatives.
3. Developing supportive policies that cater to national conditions while respecting academic freedom, research ethics, human rights, privacy, and intellectual property protections.
4. Investing in shared and equitable open science infrastructures, enabling reciprocal access to global and major research facilities.
5. Aligning incentives to encourage international collaboration in the context of open science for mutual benefit.
6. Actively implementing and monitoring the 2021 UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science.

This commitment to open science and innovation directly addresses many of the concerns and priorities that the Initiative for Science in Europe (ISE) has addressed in recent years. Notably, this includes the encouragement of using native languages in science, as promoted through initiatives like CoARA (Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment), ensuring that scientific communication is more inclusive and accessible worldwide.

The G20’s adoption of these recommendations is a crucial step towards making science more open, inclusive, and collaborative, benefiting both the global research community and society at large.

G20 agree on open innovation strategy and recommendations for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in science, technology and innovation – European Commission (europa.eu)