THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of Science and Technology Policy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 28, 2020

NEWS | G7 Science and Technology Ministers Meet on COVID-19

Today, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director Kelvin Droegemeier and U.S. Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios led the G7 Science and Technology (S&T) Ministerial Meeting on COVID-19.  

Following the meeting, G7 Science and Technology Ministers issued a declaration of their intent to collaborate on COVID-19 response and recovery.

G7 S&T Ministers intend to work collaboratively to:

·Launch the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) to enhance multi-stakeholder cooperation in the advancement of AI that reflects our shared democratic values and addresses shared global challenges, with an initial focus that includes responding to and recovering from COVID-19. Click here to read an op-ed by U.S. CTO Kratsios on GPAI. 

·Strengthen the use of high-performance computing for COVID-19 response and enhance cooperation on ongoing initiatives, such as the COVID-19 High Performance Computing (HPC) Consortium, the Partnership for Advance Computing in Europe (PRACE), and the High Performance Computing Infrastructure in Japan.

·Make government-sponsored COVID-19 epidemiological and related research results, data, and information accessible to the public in machine-readable formats, to the greatest extent possible.

·Exchange best practices to advance broadband connectivity; minimize workforce disruptions, support distance learning and working; enable access to smart health systems, virtual care, and telehealth services; promote job upskilling and reskilling programs to prepare the workforce of the future; and support global social and economic recovery, in an inclusive manner while promoting data protection, privacy, and security.

·Enhance cooperation on shared COVID-19 research priority areas such as basic research, public health, and clinical studies.

In addition, The White House announced the first international members to join the COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium – United Kingdom Research and Innovation and the Swiss National Computing Centre.  The Consortium and PRACE will also begin a new data and resource sharing initiative to accelerate global research.

“It is critically important to the Trump Administration that we continue to advance science, technology, and innovation with our G7 partners to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, we have a vision of overcoming the pandemic, and outcomes from the latest G7 meeting are pushing us toward a brighter future for our Nations. Our shared values, collective work, and strong collaboration is making a difference for the world’s researchers and citizens,” said Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier, White House OSTP Director. 

“The Trump Administration is harnessing cutting edge technologies like AI and supercomputing in the fight against COVID-19 here at home and with likeminded international partners. Today, the United States joins with G7 countries to strengthen our science and technology collaboration, setting the stage for accelerated scientific discovery and strong economic growth,” said Michael Kratsios, U.S. Chief Technology Officer. 

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