Launch of a new portal on the STI activities of international organisations

The OECD, together with the European Commission and UNESCO, launched the beta version of a new portal on the science, technology and innovation (STI) activities of international organisations on 8 July. Held online, the event featured a presentation of the portal followed by a panel discussion with speakers from contributing organisations.

The portal brings together information on the STI-related work of international organisations (IOs) within a single knowledge platform.

Built as part of the EC-OECD STIP Compass infrastructure and implemented with support from UN DESA and the Interagency Task Team on STI for the SDGs (IATT) network, the beta portal features around 200 activities from 12 participating IOs, with more expected as the platform develops beyond this initial beta phase.

International organisations play significant roles in shaping and supporting STI systems worldwide. They support governments and other stakeholders in addressing challenges that transcend national borders. They provide policy advice, contribute to the development of common international standards, and underpin global monitoring through the production and dissemination of comparable data. Harmonised information on these activities would help IOs, national policymakers, and analysts better understand the range of relevant activities and promote mutual learning, co-operation and alignment.

16:00 – 16:10 | Opening remarks

• Alessandra Colecchia, Head of the Science and Technology Policy Division, Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation, OECD
• Cecilia Cabello Valdes, Policy Officer, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission
• Ezra Clark, Chief of Section for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, Natural Sciences Sector, UNESCO

16:10 – 16:20 | Portal presentation: Main insights from the data

• Daniela Valenzuela, Economist/Policy Analyst, Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation, OECD
• Jovana Poznan, Research Officer, Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation, OECD

16:20 – 17:00 | Panel discussion: The STI IOs portal as a knowledge base: Insights, uses and next steps

Panelists:

• Wei Liu, Coordinator, UN Inter-agency Task Team on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs, UNDESA
• Lorena Rivera Leon, Senior Economist and co-editor of the Global Innovation Index, WIPO
• Kornelia Tzinova, Programme Specialist, Research, Governance and Diplomacy, UNESCO
• Meg Doherty, Director Science for Health, WHO

Moderator: Michael Keenan, Senior Policy Analyst, Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation, OECD