From science to action: the new paradigm in public policy calls for moving beyond merely responding to crises and toward evidence-based governance

The purpose of the meeting, now summarized in this document, was to discuss how scientific evidence can be more effectively integrated into the design and implementation of public policies in Portugal.

Persistent Challenges: Times, Languages, and Systems That Don’t Align

The analysis of the five areas reveals a clear convergence:

• A disconnect between the pace of science and the pace of politics, making it difficult to make informed decisions within short election cycles.
• Language and cultural barriers between researchers and decision-makers, which prevent technical data from being translated into actionable recommendations.
• Institutional fragmentation and a lack of data interoperability, which limit a systemic view of the problems.
• Monitoring systems focused on administrative processes rather than on the actual impact of the measures.

Opportunities to transform the system: mediation, open data, and co-design

The document identifies specific opportunities to leverage the impact of science on public policy:

• Establishment of formal mediation mechanisms, such as knowledge brokers and permanent liaison structures between academia and government.
• Open data policies and technical capacity-building in public administration as pillars for more robust decision-making.
• Co-design models, involving researchers from the very beginning of the policy-making process.
• Stable funding, with mandatory long-term scientific monitoring.

Conclusions: Institutionalizing Science in Politics

The Executive Summary argues that priority areas for action should focus on:

• Permanent advisory boards that ensure continuity and scientific independence.
• Mutual understanding between scientists and decision-makers, reducing noise and increasing trust.
• Monitoring platforms based on actual biophysical indicators, enabling dynamic policy adjustments.

The presentations by keynote speakers David Mair and Henrik Vejre emphasized that the effectiveness of public policies depends on evidence-informed policymaking, ensuring that relevant and reliable data is available at the right time. The example of the Danish Green Tripartite Agreement demonstrates how collaboration between the government, the private sector, and labor unions can bring about far-reaching reforms in land use to address climate and biodiversity crises.

The document emphasizes that implementing these strategies requires knowledge brokers capable of bridging the gap between academia and decision-makers, integrating cutting-edge scientific evidence and digital tools into the green and digital transitions.

The full Executive Summary of the Science-Based Policy Making Conference — Building a Better Future 2026 is available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21821647

All information about the conference — including the Executive Summary — is available on the event page on the TERRA website.