This Townhall Meeting aims to give an outlook of new directions in scientific research that could be possible if online data sets, tools, and research infrastructures are fully integrated on a global scale across scientific disciplines as well as sectoral and national boundaries.

Looking up to the sky: Flying around in the Open Science Universe, we identify what is already there – what can we reach with our scientific starships and how can we benefit? What spectacular scientific results can we foresee with Open Science approaches? What would be needed to achieve them?

Looking back down to earth: We identify the current barriers or challenges and brainstorm ways to overcome them. What does this require from all of us and our current way of thinking about integrating data and science? How can we boldly go where no scientist has gone before?

This Townhall Meeting follows up on the session ESSI 2.9 where various approaches demonstrate successful integration on the level of datasets and/or research infrastructures in support of scientific research. Within disciplines, across disciplines, and across national or even continental boundaries.

Although it may seem like a small step in this day and age of great online and technological possibilities, early attempts hint that it will still be a giant leap to fully achieve this integration.