Great success of the European Researcher’s Night in Italy! ERN is the most important European appointment for science to meet with the citizens, involving 25 countries, attracting 1.5 million visitors across Europe and beyond each year. In particular GenB project ensured that the Bioeconomy was the center of the activities!
GenB was present in Italy in two different sites at the doors of Rome: Frascati, In collaboration with the ILEAF project (27 and 28 September 2024) and Montelibretti (27 September 2024), in collaboration with I4Science. In total more than 2100 citizens have been engaged in the various activities, including kids, teenagers, families and teachers.
The GenB ambassadors played a central role in animating the two nights in Frascati, with games, quizzes and the BioArt Gallery exhibition. Nicholas, Sewmy, Alice and Davide conducted 10 rounds of the ESCAPE4Future – Chemistry meets Circular Bioeconomy game, tailoring the experience for two different type of players: a simplified version of the game for the younger ones, and a more challenging gameplay for the teen-agers and young adults. In total more than 200 players experienced this engaging game, learning by playing facts about the bioeconomy and environmental protection.
Also the Bioeconomy Quiz was played many times, challenging the participants to answer to questions related to bioeconomy and sustainability. The winners of all ages won bio-based gadgets, including the “what’s bioeconomy” book for kids.
In parallel, the BioArt Gallery was set-up: informative panels with stunning pictures of feedstock and bio-based products raised curiosity and interest, stimulating the visitors to pose questions to the GenB Ambassadors. Among the participants several copies of the “What’s bioeconomy” book for kids were distributes, in particular to teachers and young students.
Meanwhile, in Montelibretti a dedicated booth was set-up to inform youth, families and teachers about the diverse opportunities of involvement in the project, in order to take an active role in spreading the bioeconomy. The “What’s bioeconomy” book for kids was highly appreciated and was distributed and used to stimulate the engagement and learning of participants of all ages by playing and reading.
GenB activities in the context of the European Researchers’ Night showcases the importance of making complex scientific research accessible to a wider audience, successfully bringing science closer to the public, showing how research affects our daily lives and increasing the interest of young people in scientific and research careers.