Media invite: COFET second conference - Future Emerging Technologies (FET) and the city
The conference will be attended by professionals of the research world and others who study the relation between society and research, such as Massimo Bergamasco, professor of biomechanic at Sant’Anna, or Fermin Serrano Sanz, a complex systems researcher based in Zaragoza. The latter is the author of Socientize, a European green paper about the so-called “citizen science”, which involves the active participation of citizens in research and experimental activities.
“The idea behind the conference is to hear directly from European researchers why projects that study and develop highly innovative technologies should look for the involvement of social actors and citizens”, says Erich Prem from Eutema, the Austrian company which coordinates the event. “The focus will be both on outreach – how to inform the public about the activities and results of research – and on inreach, trying to design how citizens, and youngsters most of all, could be involved in this field.”
The first COFET conference held in London in June 2013 focused on the relation between technology and innovation. This time, the Sant’Anna Institute was chosen as location because of its outstanding position in the European research landscape. “Sant’Anna is internationally renowned as a leading research institute in the different fields of ICT”, says Ian Morgan, director of Optimat, a Scottish consulting company which contributes to the event’s organisations. “It holds a key position in the Italian scientific research system”.
Italy has an important role in the FET programme and coordinates many projects that will be represented at the conference. These include the SIEMPRE project, coordinated by the Genoa University, and the PLEASED project, which focuses on the usage of plants as complex sensing devices, coordinated by W-Lab, a company linked to University La Sapienza of Rome.
Participation to the conference is free of charge, however registration is mandatory. In order to register, please e-mail the project secretary at office@fet2020.euMore info on: www.fet2020.eu
Or get in touch: Martin Marek, eutema, Vienna, Tel.: +43 1 524 53 16, email: marek@eutema.com