Over the next decade, we expect a deluge of high-quality data delivered by the upcoming large ground-based (e.g., LSST/VRO, SKA, CTA) and space-based (e.g., JWST, Euclid, Roman Space Telescope, Athena) telescopes. In parallel the Gaia astrometric mission will have its final release. The imaging capabilities of some of these new facilities will detect and classify a huge number of objects. However, to learn what they are, spectroscopic follow-up on the main representatives as well as rare cases at adequate spectral resolution and cadence is required. Given the expected number of sources only a dedicated spectroscopic facility will be able to fully realise the scientific potential of these wide-field imaging surveys.  The demand for a large telescope dedicated to spectroscopic surveys is an interest shared worldwide and figures explicitly in many national strategic science plans (e.g., European Astronet Roadmap 2023, US 2020 decadal survey, 2016-2025 decadal plan for Australian astronomy, Canadian astronomy long range plan 2020-2030). A consortium of European and Australian research institutes is studying an innovative 10-m class wide-field spectroscopic survey telescope (WST) with simultaneous operation of a large field-of-view and high multiplex multi-object spectrograph facility with both medium and high resolution modes (MOS), and a giant panoramic integral field spectrograph (IFS). The originality of the concept, compared to other proposed facilities is to have the simultaneous operation of a giant IFS and a high multiplex MOS.

The main aim of the meeting is to engage the astronomical community in shaping this future facility. The science covered by a dedicated spectroscopic facility is extremely wide, but we foresee  that the scientific contributions  at the meeting will cover at least the following main science topics for which a major impact is expected from a facility like WST:

• The nature of the dark Universe and its accelerated expansion.
• Galaxy assembly and the formation of the Cosmic Web.
• The formation history of the Milky Way and dwarf galaxies in the Local Group.
• Spectroscopic characterisation of transients and time-variable phenomena.

One long lasting legacy of the meeting would be a White Paper which describes in detail the innovative science drivers for WST and the derived Top Level Requirements.