Viewpoint

We need to work with smart people wherever they are

Matthias Kaiserswerth, head of the European research headquarters of the IT company IBM, reflects on some ways Europe could improve its approach to innovation and calls for the creation of a single set of rules for research

Don’t let data protection kill research

Amendments to the European Data Protection regulation proposed in response to revelations of blanket electronic eavesdropping by the US must be dropped. If not, major international research projects in cancer, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease will come to a stop, say R&D funding bodies

Join forces to save the world

Technology alone will not fix global problems such as climate change, food and water shortages, soil erosion or the rising tide of chronic disease. What’s needed is more dialogue and interchange between the natural and the social sciences

Put international collaboration at the heart of academic research

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology is, “the university that built Norway”. Upholding this tradition calls for cooperation with institutions worldwide, links with industry, and home-based facilities that are centres of gravity for international researchers, says the Rector Gunnar Bovim

Citizen science can lower costs and increase excellence in research

To date, citizen science has focused on top-down science communication. But as the exemplar of astronomy highlights, amateur enthusiasts can make significant contributions. It’s time to capture this potential, to expand the scope and excellence of research, says Fermin Serrano