Digital council formed to improve flow of information

A German council on digital information infrastructure, which will create a strategy for making scientific knowledge and materials available online, has started work.

The council has 24 members representing scientists, state governments, the federal government and society. It has been tasked by the research ministry with analysing the need for research materials such as archives and journal articles to be digitised, and with drawing up a strategy for such materials to be made available online.

“The government wants to enforce digital developments in science as part of its digital agenda,” said Johanna Wanka, Germany’s research minister. “It is very important to improve the framework conditions for free information flow.”