In collaboration with KnowledgeRights21, we proudly present the 5th Freedom project in our innovation lab!

In our latest Innovation Lab, Stephen Wyber, Director for External Affairs at the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), explores how the 5th Freedom can reshape Europe’s research ecosystem. He outlines three revolutions: valuing knowledge, shifting from closed to open systems, and making research a core policy goal—showing how openness can empower libraries, researchers, and innovation across Europe.

Key quotes:
🗣️ “We’re seeing knowledge as something that matters.”
🗣️ “We need to move from a model where knowledge is closed, restricted by default, to one that’s open.”
🗣️ “Scientific progress is built on the possibility of access—the possibility to compare, to build on each other's work, to critique, to check.”
🗣️ “We can’t see research as an exception; we need to see it as a first-level policy goal.”
🗣️ “With this focus on the 5th Freedom, we have an opportunity to do something new—to do something better—for researchers.”

📌About Our Guest
🎙️ Stephen Wyber | KR21 and IFLA
🌐 https://www.knowledgerights21.org
🌐 https://www.ifla.org
🌐 linkedin.com/in/stephen-wyber-74192013

Stephen Wyber is the Director for External Affairs at IFLA, leading efforts to ensure laws and policies support libraries’ mission to provide access to knowledge, research, and culture. Through the Knowledge Rights 21 program, he advocates for open access and champions Europe’s proposed “5th Freedom”—the free movement of knowledge—as key to fostering collaboration and innovation.

Our bite-sized videos bring you:

↪️ Expert predictions on the future of Europe’s competitive edge in a knowledge-driven economy.

↪️ Crucial insights on what policymakers should (1) enable—bold investments in research and innovation—and (2) avoid—barriers that limit the free movement of ideas and talent.

#5thfreedom