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International Workshop on Designing Global Information Commons for Innovation in Frontier Sciences
Japan-U.S. Cooperative Science Program
08 November 2007 - 10 November 2007
University of Tokyo, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba, Japan

Sponsors/Organizers
Co-organized by the National Committee for Data on Science and Technology of the Science Council of Japan and the U.S. National Committee for CODATA of the National Academies, in cooperation with the Engineering Academy of Japan

Co-sponsored by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the United States National Science Foundation (NSF)

Event URL: http://kashiwaio.dir.u-tokyo.ac.jp/english/workshop.html

Because scientific and technological progress is developing rapidly and the sources of knowledge and information are widely distributed, no single organization has all the necessary resources (i.e., human, technical, and financial) to stay on top of all areas of research and innovation. Global information commons can play a critical role in integrating and utilizing a rich array of sources of scientific and technical information. Easy and open access online to large and diverse contents of data and information promotes collaboration for innovation and appropriate linkages between the seeds of science and technology and economic and social needs. More specifically, in making steady steps towards global sustainability, it is crucial to make appropriate use of data and information for encouraging innovation on diverse aspects, ranging from natural environment and artifacts to economy and culture. Global sustainability requires a sound understanding of the fundamental character of interactions between natural, human, and social systems, which concerns a broad range of areas and disciplines, including natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, and humanities. Scientific and technical data and information, however, are not necessarily shared or disseminated effectively beyond disciplinary, institutional, or national boundaries. It therefore is important to identify and analyze the technical, economic, legal, and institutional conditions necessary to establish and maintain global information commons. In this proposed workshop, leading experts from Japan, the United States, and other countries will discuss the current status and practices with regard to the integration and utilization of data and information in scientific and technological fields. With in-depth understanding of technical, economic, legal, and institutional diversity in the creation, distribution, management and preservation of data and information in different fields and countries, the experts will discuss how to utilize global information commons for enhancing innovation for global sustainability. The incentive structures of relevant actors, effective management of organizations, and collaboration mechanisms among the university, industry, and the public sectors will be examined. The workshop also will address aspects such as intellectual property rights (IPRs) and common-use licensing; ethical issues of IPRs, the digital divide, and the protection of privacy; harmonization of patent systems; and the processes for establishing international standards in these areas. Implications for policy implementation and institutional design will be discussed as well.

The goal of this workshop is to provide an international and interdisciplinary forum to promote a deeper understanding of technical, economic, legal, and institutional conditions for establishing and maintaining global information commons for research and to discuss how to utilize such commons for stimulating innovation in a way that contributes to sustainability.

The workshop has four primary objectives:
1.    Review and discuss the current status and practices with regard to the collection, access, utilization and preservation of data and information in scientific and technical fields, with special focus on biology, materials science, and sustainability science.
2.    Identify and analyze the scientific and technical, economic and legal, and institutional aspects relevant to the design and management of global information commons in and the specified fields in objective #1.
3.    Discuss the possibilities and challenges in (and the future benefits from) establishing, managing, and utilizing global information commons for stimulating innovation.
4.    Identify and prioritize specific follow-up activities and provide a networking opportunity for future collaborative activities for workshop speakers and attendees (and other potential stakeholders) across discipline, sectoral, institutional, and national boundaries.