4th OECD Blue Sky Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation Data and Indicators
Welcome to the call for contribution and session information page(s) for the 2026 Conference of the OECD Blue Sky Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation Data and Indicators.
Every 10 years, the OECD brings together policy makers and practitioners involved in the production and use of STI data and statistics to share experiences, generate fresh perspectives, and jointly push the boundaries for measurement and analysis to inform the next generation of STI policies and decision-making.
Blue Sky is a unique forum in its diversity and capacity to connect policy, decision makers, and STI data and analysis practitioners across different fields. This helps shape international discussions on reforming measurement frameworks, inspires national efforts to improve measurement and drives cooperation and new partnerships on STI data and indicators and their analysis.
In 2024, OECD Science and Technology Ministers and high-level representatives from over 40 countries reaffirmed the importance of convening through Blue Sky for a fourth time in 2026, bringing together the international expert community to discuss and co-develop measurement and evidence strategies in support of transformative STI policy agendas.
The OECD will convene the 4th Blue Sky Forum on 14-16 September 2026 at OECD Headquarters in Paris.
The Blue-Sky Forum is convened under the auspices of the OECD Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy (CSTP), with support from its Working Party of National Experts on Science and Technology Indicators (NESTI).
The Origins of OECD Blue Sky
The OECD Blue Sky Forum was first held in Paris in 1996 following a call by OECD science and technology ministers to gather the international expert community for a "Blue-Skies" discussion on the most promising approaches to addressing gaps in indicators in this policy area.
10 years later, a second Blue Sky Forum was held in Ottawa, prompted by a Science and Technology Ministerial in 2005 that stated the need “to develop a new generation of indicators which can measure innovative performance and other related output of a knowledge-based economy” with special attention to “the data required for the assessment, monitoring and policy making purposes”.
The initial focus on indicators shifted to the broader data and evidence landscape at the third edition of Blue Sky held in Ghent, Belgium, in 2016. The discussions in 2016 already foresaw the potential of emerging web-based data sources and the opportunities and challenges brought about by new approaches to large scale data analysis and the emergence of AI.
Blue Sky 2026 seeks to continue this open dialogue and extend it to new and relevant actors in this changing landscape, moving towards a more cohesive and strategic perspective on the policy agenda for better STI data. We are now openly inviting contributions under its overarching theme.
Blue Sky 2026 “Pushing boundaries to chart the endless frontiers of science and innovation: Better data for policies and better policies for data”
This theme reflects the critical importance of charting progress the knowledge frontiers tackled by researchers, innovators, technologists, business leaders, administrators, civil society and policy makers, and considering its implications for the future of STI data and indicators. Blue Sky 2026 approaches the quest for "better" production and use of STI data as a vital input to policy and decision-making, but also calls for new thinking on policies that actively support making such better data on STI possible.
Ministers call for New Science and Technology Indicators
What Indicators for Science, Technology and Innovation Policies in the 21st Century?
Informing science and innovation policies towards the next generation of data and indicators.
Exploring data, measurement and analysis frontiers to inform Science, Technology and Innovation policies
Goals for Blue Sky IV
Blue Sky fora are only influential in setting the agenda for recent and ongoing OECD work and positions on STI data and indicators. They have triggered national initiatives as well as connections and partnerships among participants who had never met before Blue Sky. You can find out more in the OECD corporate webpage on Blue Sky.
Blue Sky IV aims to:
Reassess STI measurement approaches by engaging with leading and innovative producers, users, and analysts of STI data, indicators, and evidence from across the STI landscape.
Identify and cultivate opportunities for future collaboration among relevant STI data users and producers participating in the conference.
Serve as a platform for knowledge sharing, facilitating exchange on user needs, methodological challenges, and practical solutions.
Support the development and implementation of STI measurement standards.
Encourage experimentation and innovation in STI measurement and analytical approaches.
Strengthen the STI evidence base - its overarching objective .
The Next Chapter
Join us to find out what is next for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators!
This site has been created by the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation for the purpose of event participation management and dissemination. It is externally hosted by Fourwaves.
How to validate authenticity: You can find a link to this page on the Blue Sky event page on the corporate OECD website.
Location
OECD Conference Centre
2 Rue André Pascal
Paris, Île-de-France
France, 75016
Dates
Submission period:
April 15, 2026 - 3:45 PM CEST - June 5, 2026 - 11:59 PM CEST
Contact us
If you have any questions, please contact bluesky4@oecd.org