The future of science advice in Europe

This one-day event on 13 November in Helsinki organised by SAPEA (Science Advice for Policy by European Academies) brings together leading practitioners and scholars to reflect on emerging trends, weak signals, and promising opportunities for developing next-generation science advice capabilities.

Today’s world faces an increasingly complex and interconnected policy environment. This has prompted the EU and national governments to rethink existing tools and structures for designing policy, and to seek innovative ways to govern.

This rethinking extends also to science advice. Many key policy challenges of the twenty-first century depend on scientific fields where the evidence is complex, uncertain or rapidly evolving, or where there is controversy both within and outside the scientific community.

The focus will be on both EU-level and national level science advice. The event will also provide useful input to Finland from around Europe as Finland develops its next-generation science advice capabilities.

Keynote speakers include the European Commission’s Chief Scientific Advisors Pearl Dykstra and Carina Keskitalo, senior members of the Finnish government, leading researchers and academy representatives from across Europe.