ESOF 2020 - EuroScience Open Forum Trieste

Event date
September 2-6, 2020
Venue
Trieste
Country
Italy
Short description

The EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) is a biennial, pan-European, general science conference dedicated to scientific research and innovation. Each conference aims to deliver stimulating content and lively debate around the latest advancements and discoveries in the sciences, humanities and social sciences.

This year, the European Commission DG Research and Innovation - through its International Service Facility scheme supporting the Western Balkans Steering Platform on Research and Innovation  - organises two sessions to strengthen the visibility of  the WB regional science communities, highlighting their potential, and to disseminate their achievements while encouraging networking and the exchange of best practices:

  •  Advancing R&I ecosystems in the Western Balkans with regard to their ERA integration, within the SCIENCE to BUSINESS programme, and
  • Networking Western Balkans R&I community towards success, within the CAREER programme.
Description

ESOF generally brings together leading thinkers, innovators, policy makers, journalists and educators from more than 90 countries, to discuss current and future breakthroughs in contemporary science. It is therefore one of the best opportunities for everyone from leading scientists, early careers researchers, business people, policy makers, science and technology communicators to the general public to come together to find out more about how science is helping us advance today.

As Covid-19 has spread around the globe. In order to offer a safe forum, without compromising its values and intentions nor its participants’ health, the 9th edition of ESOF has been redesigned to allow physical and virtual spaces to work together. The Forum will be held in the Old Port of Trieste, and in particular in Warehouses 27 and 28, the heart of the new Trieste Convention Center - TCC, a multifunctional congress centre which will be inaugurated specifically for ESOF2020.
Of the over 150 events scheduled from 2 September onwards, approximately 70 will be held in virtual format, another 70 in hybrid format and roughly a dozen events exclusively with physical attendance. Plenary conferences, addresses by major speakers, workshops, and special events will be made available by streaming, and most will also be recorded and subsequently made available on demand.

ESOF 2020 PROGRAMME

With more than 150 sessions and over 700 speakers in an updated programme, including an innovative hybrid format and distinguished international guests, ESOF2020 is more vital and attractive than ever. New online sessions and themes have been added: Covid-19 takes the stage at ESOF2020 with a series of meetings between the scientific community and policy-makers on the implications of the Coronavirus on public health, economics and communication.
The Programme consists in 18 themes spread in 3 tracks to cover a wide spectrum of current issues at the interface between science, industry and society. The concepts of sustainability and innovation permeate these three tracks, with the aim of fostering discussion on how innovation can be made sustainable as well as how innovation can help boost sustainability in a variaty of fields and processes.
Alongside the main programme a rich offer of plenaries, keynote sessions, workshops and special events will place the spotlight on these issues, central to the 2020 edition of ESOF.
Within this mindset, the main questions the programme seeks to address are:

 

MORE INFORMATION

 

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The WBC-RTI ROADSHOW    

Do not miss the opportunity to participate in the two virtual sessions organised by the International Service Facility on behalf of the EC DG R&I to inform and promote the strong potential of the Western Balkans' R&I capacities. Opportunities to interact during the sessions will be the same for all participants, the virtual discussion and interaction will be handled by moderators through an online chat.

Advancing R&I ecosystems in the Western Balkans with regard to their ERA integration
Virtual Room 3, 4 September 2020, 12:00 - 13:30

This interactive roundtable intends to support the EU Western Balkans Strategy, and especially the Action Plan in Support of the transformation of the Western Balkans under supporting socioeconomic development. Themes for the debate will range from regional cooperation and mobility of researchers in view of integration into a true European Research Area as recently mentioned by new President-elect of European Commission, Ms. Ursula von der Leyen. Further key discussion points will include the increasing and attracting of human resources and capacity building in the R&I system, as well as inclusion of Open Science in WB policies and of Centres of Excellence, flagship initiatives (like SEEIIST) and research infrastructures into strategies. Finally, the round table will allow for discussions on the most effective way to use the widening approach in the upcoming Framework Programme and instruments such as S3 strategies, and also in their initial actions to improve infrastructure and R&I capacity.

AGENDA & SPEAKERS

  • Moderation and Introduction to the Widening in Horizon Europe and opportunities for the Western Balkans
    Stefan Weiers, ERA & Country Intelligence, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission
  • Role and potential of Science Parks and incubators in the Western Balkans
    Vedran Šimunović,  Intera Techonolgy park; Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Montenegro’s R&I ecosystem
    Branka Zizic, General Director for Innovation and Technology Development, Ministry of Science of Montenegro
  • Smart specialisation beyond EU: a focus on Western Balkans
    Ales Gnamus, S3 Platform, EC Joint Research Centre
  • Building National Initiatives for Open Science  - NI4OS-Europe
    Ognjen Prnjat, Director of National Infrastructures for Research and Technology, Greek Research and Technology Network


Networking Western Balkans R&I community towards success
Virtual Room 3, 4 September 2020, 14:30 - 16:00

This virtual networking session aims at generally showcasing WB excellences and to support collaboration between research organisations and different research communities. The objective is also to foster interconnections between regional ecosystems.The networking shall contribute to increasing reputation of WB scientific potential as well as awareness of the achievements of the WBC R&I community towards European interested stakeholders.

AGENDA & SPEAKERS

  • Moderation and Introduction
    Klaus Schuch, Executive Director, ZSI – Centre for Social Innovation, Austria
  • TeRRIFICA : H2020 project developing and fostering innovative climate actions
    Marjana Brkic, Advisor, Center for The Promotion of Science, Serbia
  • Towards market-based skills for sustainable energy- efficient construction: results from the H2020 Trainee project
    Nena Nikolovska, Associate, Economic Chamber of Macedonia, North Macedonia
  • Improving academia – industry cooperation to cope with the industrial challenges: INNOFEIT Centre for Technology Transfer and Innovations
    Vladimir Atanasovski, Managing Director Innofeit, North Macedonia
  • CERIC-ERIC  Open for Opportunities
    Jana Kolar, Executive Director, CERIC- ERIC

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Don't miss these two WBC-RTI insightful sessions! Stay tuned for more info through the WBC-RTI.INFO Twitter and Faceboook channels!

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REGISTER FOR ESOF HERE

ESOF 2020 event page and further information

Geographical focus
  • Europe
  • International; Other
  • Western Balkans
Scientifc field / Thematic focus
  • Cross-thematic/Interdisciplinary
Event type
  • Conference in EU/international

Entry created by Admin WBC-RTI.info on October 22, 2019
Modified on October 1, 2020