MACARONIGHT IV · MACARONIGHT 2022 - 2023: The Researchers' Night of the Macaronesia

MACARONIGHT 2022 - 2023: The Researchers' Night of the Macaronesia

The EU Macaronesian territory is a biogeographical region contains three main Atlantic Oceanic archipelagos: the Azores, Madeira, Canaries. The islands exhibit common geographical traits and share a rich cultural heritage and are part of the European Outermost Regions. The population totals approximately 3 million inhabitants, equivalent to a small EU country and yet, as with many Outermost Regions,citizens feel disconnected from mainland Europe. Since its first edition in 2018, MacaroNight has aimed to become a beacon of scientific outreach in the archipelagos highlighting the science, research, and innovation of Macaronesian and European researchers, showcasing their contributions and how these advancements resonate beyond the academic sphere, influencing the socio-economic landscape of the islands and the day-to-day of the citizens. MACARONIGHT IV maintained its spirit, further widening the public awareness towards science, research, and innovation. The main theme for this recently past edition has been the Horizon Europe missions, touching on all of them but highlighting those of special relevance to the research being developed in the individual islands, such as “Restore our Ocean and Waters” and “Adaptation to Climate Change”. By increasing visibility of the work of scientists from the region within the priorities set by the EU, MACARONIGHT hopes to have long lasting multi-faceted beneficial impacts that could extend beyond the immediate objectives of the project, MacaroNight aspires to ignite curiosity and inspire the next generation of scientists and innovators, but also create a two-way conversation with other European Researchers’ Nights seeking to increase the visibility and international recognition of the region's scientific community, connecting its researchers not only with the public but with each other and with far-reaching institutions and projects. During these past few years, MacaroNight has become more than just an event in the last six years; it is now an expected part of the year for schools and families, steadily creating a science-informed society where research and innovation are not just understood but celebrated, presenting an opportunity for researchers to step out of their labs and into the public eye, demystifying their work and connecting with the community on a personal level, and expecting to encourage Macaronesian citizens -especially the young population- to take part in the research being developed in the region.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union