Final Report Summary - ESCITY (Europe Science and the City: Promoting Scientific Culture at local level)
As stated by Mr Janez Potocnik, European Commissioner for Science and Research, in an interview during the Congress of Science Cities ECSC, held in Magdeburg in November 2006, the city of the future should make the promotion of knowledge one of its priorities. He also highlighted the importance of getting together and networking, to reduce the likelihood of fragmentation and wasted effort. These are, in fact, the core ideas that inspired the ESCITY project, whose aim was to provide a basis for a network to be developed in a second phase, beyond the Sixth Framework Programme. Therefore, the project was oriented to action as its final aim was to get together the necessary critical mass of cities and social research institutions to be able to act as lobby. The first lobby action, which was quite modest, is actually the final result of the project: a document that addressed to local governments that contains some guidelines on how to enhance science culture in cities.
The information gathered, and the discussion aroused in the meetings organised during the project's development, made it clear that a stronger and formal structure is needed in order to support and facilitate the contact between cities willing to exchange information on science culture issues, to engage in new projects, to search collaboration from other cities and to be able to influence national and European action on this field.
The scope of the ESCITY project proved too narrow for providing the basis for a future network of local and regional governments committed to the promotion of science culture, as this is an issue that is, logically, closely linked to science promotion itself, a far wider and more complex area. Therefore, as it was stated in ESCITY's case study report, a future network should not be limited to cultural issues but should have at least three sections: science culture and communication; promotion of knowledge-based industry; and studies and analysis. This proposal was presented -and welcomed - in the open session held in Brussels on 6 February 2006; it was also discussed during the international seminar held the following autumn in Barcelona (25-26 October): its attendants agreed on broadening the scope of the ESCITY network.
The commitment by local-regional governments to promoting science culture as an ingredient for stimulating city or regional development must be essential to become a member of the ESCITY network. Otherwise, as it was shown by the 38 cases of science culture promotion analysed in the above mentioned report, there is a high risk of launching isolated, disperse and even overlapping initiatives whose impact is limited and whose sustainability is easily jeopardised by any change in the parties in government.
The work undertaken by ESCITY so far states the opportunity to create a network of cities, regions, and social research institutions to promote science culture at local level across Europe, and to do so at three levels: science culture and communication; promotion of knowledge-based industry; and studies and analysis.
The presentation given in Brussels in February 2007, as well as the participation in the First Congress of Science Cities in Magdeburg in November 2006 and in the PCST-9 in Seoul in 2006, has had great potential for disseminating the emerging community's work and attracting potential new members that will engage, or reinforce their existent engagement- in promoting scientific culture in their areas of competence. It represents a significant impact in the local governments' readiness to implement such actions or, at least, in getting involved in a Europe-wide community that debates on those issues.
The information gathered, and the discussion aroused in the meetings organised during the project's development, made it clear that a stronger and formal structure is needed in order to support and facilitate the contact between cities willing to exchange information on science culture issues, to engage in new projects, to search collaboration from other cities and to be able to influence national and European action on this field.
The scope of the ESCITY project proved too narrow for providing the basis for a future network of local and regional governments committed to the promotion of science culture, as this is an issue that is, logically, closely linked to science promotion itself, a far wider and more complex area. Therefore, as it was stated in ESCITY's case study report, a future network should not be limited to cultural issues but should have at least three sections: science culture and communication; promotion of knowledge-based industry; and studies and analysis. This proposal was presented -and welcomed - in the open session held in Brussels on 6 February 2006; it was also discussed during the international seminar held the following autumn in Barcelona (25-26 October): its attendants agreed on broadening the scope of the ESCITY network.
The commitment by local-regional governments to promoting science culture as an ingredient for stimulating city or regional development must be essential to become a member of the ESCITY network. Otherwise, as it was shown by the 38 cases of science culture promotion analysed in the above mentioned report, there is a high risk of launching isolated, disperse and even overlapping initiatives whose impact is limited and whose sustainability is easily jeopardised by any change in the parties in government.
The work undertaken by ESCITY so far states the opportunity to create a network of cities, regions, and social research institutions to promote science culture at local level across Europe, and to do so at three levels: science culture and communication; promotion of knowledge-based industry; and studies and analysis.
The presentation given in Brussels in February 2007, as well as the participation in the First Congress of Science Cities in Magdeburg in November 2006 and in the PCST-9 in Seoul in 2006, has had great potential for disseminating the emerging community's work and attracting potential new members that will engage, or reinforce their existent engagement- in promoting scientific culture in their areas of competence. It represents a significant impact in the local governments' readiness to implement such actions or, at least, in getting involved in a Europe-wide community that debates on those issues.
