Open science in a closing world

Abstract

The dissemination of scientific knowledge has long been a driving force behind technological and societal progress, and remains central to the vision of open science. However, shifts in the geopolitical landscape are reshaping the narrative around the role of science. Rapid technological advancements have placed science and innovation at the heart of global competition, raising concerns about the sharing of critical technologies and sensitive knowledge.

At the same time, science itself is increasingly being questioned. The inherent uncertainty in scientific findings is sometimes misused to dismiss even well-established results. Misinformation and disinformation undermine society’s ability to make evidence-based decisions and may also affect the reliability of outputs from large language models. These challenges are compounded by the rise of paper mills and a peer review system under pressure from the growing volume of publications. Together, these trends risk deepening the divide between science and society.

In this context, key questions arise: How can science—and open science in particular—respond to these global developments? How can researchers navigate environments where governments may seek to restrict the sharing of knowledge or limit the scope of scientific inquiry? And how can open science help safeguard scientific integrity and contribute to sustainable development in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape?