Held under Chatham House rules, the discussion brought together leaders across research, policy, industry, and media to examine how trust is shaped by transparency, governance, and communication practices. Participants emphasized that in an increasingly complex and fragmented information landscape, strengthening trust requires more than scientific excellence. It depends on aligning incentives, improving access to reliable evidence, and building systems that connect knowledge to action across sectors and societies.

This article examines how science advisors in Asia work within diverse political systems. The authors show how advisors deliver scientific evidence while keeping their work accurate and reliable. By comparing state-led development in China and Vietnam with active democracies in India and Indonesia, the text highlights the difficulty of staying neutral. It reviews the trade-offs of inside advisory groups versus independent, arm’s-length systems. Finally, the authors share practical steps to keep science advice stable during government changes, using regional examples like the Fukushima wastewater release.

In this commentary, Guillermo Anlló, Chair of INGSA-Latin America and the Caribbean, argues that shifting political cycles, drastic budget cuts, and the discontinuation of long-term programs are quietly dismantling Latin American science. He warns that losing local research capacity creates global blind spots in climate, biodiversity, and disease tracking, fuels brain drain, and erodes democratic resilience. Anlló calls for regional trust funds, coordinated science diplomacy, and initiatives like INKA to safeguard science as a transnational public good.

Multi-agent AI could move soil science beyond fragmented data and into actionable policy, if paired with stronger data infrastructure, transparency, and governance, argues Catherine Nakalembe of the University of Maryland. 

Science is driving unprecedented advances in health, technology, and society—yet science advice is facing growing scrutiny and political tension. This piece examines the deeper forces behind this apparent paradox.

A reflection on the institutional, political, and conceptual lessons from the NHS COVID-19 contact tracing app, examining how science advice operates under uncertainty, digital dependency, and crisis conditions.

A first-hand account of the development of the NHS COVID-19 contact tracing app, examining how scientific advice operates under institutional pressure, technical uncertainty, and political scrutiny during a public health crisis.

Achieving a Nature Positive future requires embedding systems thinking into policy and finance so that ecological integrity becomes a foundation—not a constraint—of economic decision-making, says Éliane Ubalijoro, Isaac Rutenberg, Robert Nasi, Paulo Augusto of Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF).

A credible, standardized Nature Measurement Protocol is essential to mobilize the private sector and translate the Nature Positive goal into measurable, accountable action, says Marco Lambertini, the Convener of the Nature Positive Initiative in Switzerland.

At the Frontiers Science House in Davos, the first venue dedicated to transformative science during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, this set of sessions examined how advances in AI and biomedical innovation are reshaping healthcare systems. Across discussions on discovery, delivery, and prevention, speakers emphasized that the central challenge is no longer technological capability, but system readiness. The convergence of data, incentives, and environmental risk is driving a shift from reactive care toward integrated and predictive health systems.

At the Frontiers Science House in Davos, discussions about One Sustainable Health highlighted how interconnected risks across human, animal, and environmental systems are reshaping global health. This session underscored a shift from fragmented interventions to system-level responses grounded in cross-sector collaboration.

At the Frontiers Science House in Davos, sessions on cities and the Frontiers Planet Prize explored how planetary health can move from scientific insight to large-scale implementation. Speakers connected planetary boundaries with urban systems, food chains, and governance structures, emphasizing that the key challenge is not knowledge but execution. The discussions highlighted the need to align finance, policy, and data to enable measurable, system-wide transformation anchored in real-world contexts.

At the Frontiers Science House in Davos, the antimicrobial resistance was framed as one of the most pressing yet under-recognized threats to global health systems. Speakers examined how to resolve this tension while preventing AMR from undermining modern medicine.

At the Frontiers Science House in Davos, this session examined how science diplomacy is evolving in a context of increasing geopolitical competition. Speakers highlighted the need to move from reactive cooperation to anticipatory engagement, embedding scientific expertise earlier in diplomatic processes. The discussion emphasized that effective science diplomacy will depend on building trust, strengthening international coordination, and enabling more inclusive global participation in shaping emerging technologies.

At the Frontiers Science House in Davos, this session explored how the rapid growth of AI and digital infrastructure is placing unprecedented pressure on global energy systems. Speakers highlighted the tension between scaling data capacity and maintaining grid stability, affordability, and climate goals, emphasizing the need for flexibility, new energy sources, and smarter system management.

At the Frontiers Science House in Davos, speakers examined the path from scientific breakthroughs to commercially viable fusion energy. The session emphasized the importance of industrialization, supply chains, and policy frameworks to scale solutions.

At the Frontiers Science House in Davos, this session explored how quantum technologies are transitioning from research to early application. The discussion focused on hybrid systems, global coordination, and inclusive capacity building.

At the Frontiers Science House in Davos, speakers examined Europe’s challenge in translating strong research into scalable innovation to ensure its competitiveness, based on the inputs from the Draghi report. The session emphasized the need to better connect funding, markets, and skills to strengthen global competitiveness.

At the Frontiers Science House in Davos, this session explored how space technologies are becoming essential infrastructure for communication, security, and environmental monitoring. The discussion highlighted commercialization trends and the need for faster regulatory and investment frameworks.

At the Frontiers Science House in Davos, this debate explored whether geoengineering should be treated as a necessary risk management tool or a distraction from decarbonization. The discussion highlighted governance challenges, systemic risks, and the urgency of maintaining focus on emissions reduction.