Life Sciences Supermind: Convening an Online Community of Experts to Reimagine the Future of the Life Sciences

In the spring of 2021, two MIT research centers and the MilliporeSigma division of Merck convened a “supermind”—a powerful combination of many minds—via an online platform to reimagine the future of the life sciences. More than 200 experts in science, healthcare, public policy, and related fields were invited to participate. Members of the supermind contributed their own ideas, and commented on one another’s ideas, about the key developments they believed would emerge in the life sciences in coming years. Contributions focused on five key areas: the future of scientific research and development; manufacturing, supply, and distribution chains; disruptive technologies; public health preparedness; and science communication. The exercise surfaced useful—and in many cases, actionable—insights in each of these areas. It also showed how information technology can bring together a diverse and geographically distributed “crowd” of experts, across disciplines and industries, and allow them, in a convenient and cost-effective way, to generate creative thinking on important subjects.