Scientific drillships allow scientists to access some of Earth’s most challenging environments, collecting data and samples of sediment, rock, fluids and living organisms from below the seafloor. Scientific ocean drilling programs have transformed the understanding of our planet by addressing some of the most fundamental questions about Earth’s dynamic history, processes and structure, and by opening up new lines of inquiry. Drilling scientists and engineers have developed tools and methodologies that are now used across the terrestrial and marine geosciences, and in the private sector. Equally important, scientific ocean drilling has fostered enduring international collaborations, trained new generations of multidisciplinary students and scientists, and engaged the public worldwide in scientific discovery.With multiple platforms, proven drilling, sampling and long-term observational techniques, as well as the diverse range of science that can be addressed by studying Earth beneath the sea, the 2013-2023 International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) - the world largest marine geosciences programme - will build on this legacy and address global challenges facing current and future generations with new research approaches, expanded scientific communities and continued development of its unique collaborative model.The European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD) was created by 12 countries in 2003 to join the international Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) as a single member. ECORD co-ordinates the European and Canadian contributions to IODP and has currently 18 member countries (17 European plus Canada), with Poland as the most recent member.The International Ocean Discovery Program will use three primary drilling platforms which will be operated by three independent Individual Platform Providers contributing to IODP by fulfilling objectives identified in the Science Plan “Illuminating the Earth's Past, Present and Future” (http://www.iodp.org/science-plan-for-2013-2023): • the US-supplied multipurpose drillship JOIDES Resolution, • the Japanese riser-drilling-capable Chikyu for ultra-deep drilling in the ocean crust, the underlying mantle, and subduction zone environments, • the ECORD Mission-Specific Platforms (MSP) chartered on a specific project basis for drilling in technically challenging conditions, including high latitudes and shallow-water environments. In addition, Long-term borehole observatories provide data through which generations of researchers can build on the legacy of scientific ocean drilling, collecting new samples and deploying new instruments as technology and ideas change.