Ciência Viva turned 30, and INESC TEC celebrated in Santarém at the Fórum Nacional dos Clubes Ciência Viva na Escola

On 27 March, all roads led to Santarém, more specifically to CNEMA – the National Exhibition Centre for Agriculture – for the Fórum Nacional dos Clubes Ciência Viva na Escola. INESC TEC, as a partner of Ciência Viva, was present to mark the 30^th anniversary of the country’s largest network for promoting scientific and technological culture.

INESC TEC took part in the event’s Science and Technology Exhibition, showcasing the institution’s most award-winning robot: the Modular-E. Designed to autonomously assist farmers in challenging terrains, contributing to more efficient, safer and more sustainable agriculture, Modular-E was a major attraction for everyone, from young visitors to teachers and researchers.

INESC TEC researchers Vítor Tinoco and Francisco Oliveira answered all the questions from different audiences about the robot, which won the Empreendedorismo e Inovação award last month.

INESC TEC’s presence at the event is not only because of the institution’s role as a Ciência Viva partner; it reflects a broader commitment to promoting scientific and technological culture – translating into a range of outreach initiatives. Some of these are developed in collaboration with Ciência Viva, such as the Ocupação Científica de Jovens das Férias. Others are organised internally for students, such as INESC TEC’s Open Week, or by associated institutions, like the University of Porto Mostra or the Verão no Campus at the University of Minho.

Returning to the Fórum: alongside researchers, students, teachers and organisations from across the country celebrating science and innovation, political decision-makers – both national and international – also took part in the event.

The opening session featured a conversation between the President of Ciência Viva, Pedro Russo, and the Chair of the Board of EduQA, moderated by Marta Ribeiro da Silva; it focused on the importance of science and inspiring young people. This was followed by speeches from Fernando Alfaiate, President of the Recuperar Portugal mission structure, who highlighted the creation of 653 new clubs under the PRR (three more than the set target); João Teixeira Leite, Mayor of Santarém, as the host city of the Forum; Georgi Dimitrov, Head of the Digital Education Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, who presented a series of European initiatives promoting scientific and technological culture; and Helena Canhão, Secretary of State for Science and Innovation, who, like Georgi Dimitrov, spoke about the government’s national strategy in this area.

While the technology exhibition was taking place, several other activities ran in parallel. These included the Ciência Viva em Palco clubs, featuring students presenting in short five-minute sessions; a presentation by researchers from the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IASTRO) in the main auditorium; and the talk show STEM Cells Rock, a performance blending theatre sketches and live music, bringing together scientists, artists and science communicators on stage.