NEWHORIZONS · New Horizons Festival

New Horizons Festival

I.2. Summary for publication The European Researchers’ Night 2015 in Rotterdam, “Rotterdam Science Festival, The Science behind Food”, was all about meeting science and scientists. The project featured researchers and innovators from Erasmus University Rotterdam, Erasmus MC, as well as from other universities in the Netherlands, industries and SMEs. It offered visitors the unique opportunity of meeting face-to-face with scientists and taking part in dialogues, demonstrations, hands-on experiments and workshops, combined with a food innovation market place. The festival took place in the midst of the Friday night city life and entertainment at one of the hotspots of Rotterdam, around the spectacular architecture of the new Market hall, presenting science in a sometimes casual and sometimes spectacular way. The experience of Science Street Foundation, representing Erasmus University Rotterdam, Erasmus University Medical Center and the Rotterdam cultural field, with organizing ERN goes back to 2009 when the event was organized in collaboration with Frascati Scienza and CERN. This year the organization was supported by Sjaak Smeins (festival director) and Chantal Waller (programmer and science curator). The project remained linked with Discovery Festival in Amsterdam with regard to the national awareness campaign and promotional actions, although each of the two projects have their own recognisable profile and approach. The 2015 theme consisted of “The Science behind Food”; this related to major developments in many fields of research having a relation with food. During the event, researchers from diverse disciplines, e.g. life and medical sciences, psychology, economy, logistics, marketing and social sciences focussed on the science behind food and its applications on everyday life. Some of the highlights were the science cafés presented by young researchers at the Market hall café for an audience of over a hundred people and the Taste Makers of the Future Food Market presenting seaweed burgers and insect pancakes. A total of 4.750 people physically visited the programme of activities of Rotterdam Science Festival, the main group of visitors consisted of the target group of people from 17 to 37 years old, the typical curious audience looking for information and experiences, which are relevant for their personal lives and for society. The event also attracted nevertheless older people curious to learn about research and its relevance to society. The total outreach of media in which New Horizons had been present is 750.000 people. The activities took place at the Central Library, the market Square and the Market hall in Rotterdam City centre.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union