Towards Sectoral Systems of Information Commons for Science and Innovation

Recently we have observed a growing intensity of scientific data and information and a deepening diversity of knowledge base required for innovation. As the same time, intellectual property rights regimes are increasing tightened, and the privatization of data, information, and knowledge is widely diffused. This paper is a preliminary attempt to address technical, economic, legal, and institutional conditions for establishing and maintaining information commons and to discuss how to utilize it for stimulating collaboration and innovation. The characteristics of different types of information commons in various fields need to be examined, including the mechanisms of creating and maintaining information commons, incentive structures of relevant actors, speed of information and knowledge creation, fragmentation of information and knowledge, and scope and opportunities for combination of information. It will be important to establish sectoral systems of information commons for science for policy making and institutional design.