EuroScience Open Forum 2020

Presented in Trieste the program of ESOF2020, the EuroScience Open Forum scheduled in Trieste from 5 to 9 July 2020. Now in its ninth edition, the biennial Forum dedicated to scientific research and innovation will consist of meetings, debates, exhibition spaces where researchers, policy makers, entrepreneurs, journalists and scientific communicators will meet.

About 170 events will be selected among more than 600 proposals from all over the world, starting of course from Europe. More than 4000 participants from about 80 countries are expected in the capital of Friuli Venezia Giulia, European City of Science 2020.

To take part in the Forum you can register on the website www.esof.eu

The main themes and guests of the Forum

The Porto Vecchio of Trieste, ESOF's chosen seat, will become a centre of discussion and proposal on crucial issues of our time, including sustainability, nutrition, quality of life, digitization, artificial intelligence and much more.

Under the motto "Open Knowledge, Fair Future", during the works we will talk about the Blue Economy and the correct management of the sea resource, starting from the Mediterranean Sea, the circular Economy, the fight against waste and recycling, what science can do to feed a sustainable way a planet with a growing population. Quality of life and health are another important strand, with the major challenges to which science and technology are expected, from aging to the defeat of cancer in the coming years. Our world and other worlds, we will be talking about exoplanets, with 11 billion potentially inhabitable planets assumed in our galaxy alone. And, again, collaborative design, science communication, scientific diplomacy and major research installations such as CERN or SESAME Synchrotron in Jordan. The "Directorate General for Research and Innovation", the European Commission's research policy body, will also be present at ESOF to describe the new 7-year funding programme: "Horizon Europe".

The mainly scientific sessions (Science Programme) will be flanked by those of the other two tracks of ESOF's programme: Science to Business, dedicated to the relationship between science and business and Science to Career, dedicated to the professions of the future.
An important moment related to the Science to Business programme will be the three-day event organized by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission in collaboration with Area Science Park and Technology Park in Ljubljana, where technology transfer experts will offer their advice in the evaluation of innovative business ideas arising from research. In addition to this, the "Business meets Science" initiative carried out by ESOF2020, Elettra Sincrotrone and Confindustria will connect researchers, technology transfer offices and companies through workshops, group discussions and one-to-one meetings from 6 to 8 July.

Talking about new professions, a special event, realized by European Commission, Union pour la Mediterranèe e Mare Fvg, will be dedicated to Blue Skills, that is the new specializations related to the blue economy, to the strategy of sustainable growth and development to protect seas, rivers, oceans, lakes and associated ecosystems.
(Attached is a list containing some of the highlights of ESOF2020).

Among the more than 850 expected speakers, there are several names of attraction including Didier Queloz, Nobel Prize in Physics 2019; Ada Yonath, Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009; CERN Director Fabiola Gianotti; Mathematician winner of the Fields Medal 2018 Alessio Figalli; Director of Human Technopole in Milan Iain Mattaj; geneticists Mauro Giacca and Michele Morgante; Professor Sheila Jasanoff, expert on the relationship between science and politics; the epidemiologist Tolullah Oni; Griša Močnik and Matevž Lenarčič, respectively a physicist and a light aircraft pilot, engaged in Aviation for Science a project to monitor black carbon levels in the air; the smart cities expert Ina Homeier and Albert van Jaarsveld; CEO of IIASA the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and the President of the European Research Council Mauro Ferrari.

Events dedicated to the media

Many appointments are planned for journalists and communication operators. Starting from the European Conference of Science Journalists (ECSJ 2020) that will take place just before ESOF, on 3 and 4 July, and will include a workshop dedicated to journalists from Central and Eastern Europe (Balkan School of Science Journalism), an initiative of CESJ - Center for Ethics in Science and Journalis, Balkan Network of Science Journalists, SISSA - International School of Advanced Studies and JRC -Joint Research Centre.

During the forum, all accredited journalists will have free access to ESOF Village in Porto Vecchio and will be able to follow the whole event. The programme includes specific sessions on science communication and science journalism such as the panel on the ethics of journalism proposed by the European Federation of Science Journalists, entitled "Where is the ethics when scientific information is misused? There will also be a Media Area with a press room, three rooms for press conferences and two rooms for interviews (one equipped as a recording studio). There will also be social events: on July 7th the ESOF Media Party will be held in a still secret location while a series of events will be organized by the city's scientific institutions, such as the scientific tasting "Il Mare nel Piatto" organized by OGS at Caffè San Marco and the press tours organized by SISSA, Elettra Sincrotrone, Marine Protected Area of Miramare.

During the days of the Forum will also be awarded the "Special Award for science writers for Central and Eastern Europe" an award for science journalists assigned by EuroScience (the European Association that founded ESOF) dedicated to science journalists from Central and Eastern Europe who have distinguished themselves for their work.

During the days of the Forum will also be awarded the "Special Award for science writers for Central and Eastern Europe" an award for science journalists assigned by EuroScience (the European Association that founded ESOF) dedicated to science journalists from Central and Eastern Europe who have distinguished themselves for their work.

Trieste European City of Science

The choice of Trieste as European City of Science 2020 is due to the great scientific tradition of the city that dates back to the end of the 19th century, when the Astronomical Observatory was born, followed by institutions active in geophysics, speleology and marine biology. It was then in the second half of the last century that, thanks to the extraordinary vision of the Physicist Paolo Budinich, the creation of the International Centre of Theoretical Physics "Abdus Salam" (ICTP) gave birth to several institutions, including the International School of Advanced Studies (SISSA) and the Area Science Park, which, together with the University and other research centres, was the first to be established.

The festival in the city

Finally, it should be remembered that, parallel and connected to the Forum in Porto Vecchio, from June 27th to July 11th the whole city of Trieste will be the stage for the "Science in the City Festival", an event with more than 100 events, shows, exhibitions dedicated to the general public and to all science and technology enthusiasts.

The launch of the program also coincides with the opening of the calls to participate as volunteers in ESOF and Science in the City Festival: the call is available on  www.scienceinthecity2020.eu.