Science Comes to Town, an EU initiative designed to boost public engagement with science, was inaugurated in Split, Croatia, on Tuesday.
The opening event in Split brought together Croatia’s Minister of Science, Education and Youth, Radovan Fuchs, alongside representatives of the European Commission and local and university representatives from three partner cities — Split, Kiel in Germany and Brest in France, the European Commission said in a statement.
European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva also took part via a video message.
Science Comes to Town is described as a year-long programme of activities across Split, Kiel and Brest, as well as six additional “satellite cities” elsewhere in Europe, running until the end of 2026.
What the programme involves
The initiative is funded through Horizon Europe, the EU’s main research funding programme, and has a budget of €6 million for a small group of cities to host a year-long programme of science engagement.
The statement said the programme is intended to move science activities beyond laboratories and into public spaces and local communities, with residents interacting directly with researchers and policymakers.
The initiative is also due to feature again in the Horizon Europe work programme for 2026–2027, with further editions scheduled for 2028 and 2029.
