The need for measurement science in digital pathology

•A change to vendor-neutral open standard for images and annotations is essential to improve data management, sharing and re-use.•Lack of standardised data hinders development of AI/ML tools for pathology.•Frequency and scope of instrument calibration vary a lot between laboratories.•Standardised calibration tools are needed to yield consistent comparable images.•Pathology community needs own metrics to assess AI/ML performance.