Science Week celebrates 30 years of disseminating research and scientific knowledge in Catalonia

Science Week celebrates its 30th anniversary, having spent three decades disseminating scientific research and knowledge in Catalonia. Over 1.5 million people have enjoyed some 10,500 science-related activities for all audiences. The 30th edition of Science Week (SC'25), organized by the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI) with the support of the Department of Research and Universities of the Government of Catalonia, will feature more than 380 talks, guided tours, routes, exhibitions, workshops, conferences, and other activities until Sunday, November 16. The central theme of SC'25, which is supported by BBVA, Amgen, and the "la Caixa" Foundation, will be quantum technology, aiming to bring the importance of quantum science and its applications closer to the public. This election commemorates the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ 2025), promoted by the United Nations. The thematic focus is not exclusive, as the Week maintains its multifaceted, thematically diverse philosophy, one of its distinctive features for the past three decades. The complete program of activities is available at [website address missing]. Science Week websiteThe SC'25 mobilizes, in Catalonia, more than one hundred institutions and entities in the field of research and science outreach, including universities, research centers, major infrastructure projects, academies, schools, scientific associations, libraries, museums, and companies.

According to the Minister of Research and Universities, Núria Montserrat Pulido, the Week "is one of the prime examples of the Catalan research and innovation system's repeated commitment to making research results increasingly accessible through engaging, understandable, and motivating communication." She emphasized that "we must further disseminate research with initiatives specifically aimed at young people, as this Week does, to stimulate the scientific vocations that should nourish our research centers and universities."

For his part, the Director General of the FCRI, Miquel Gómez Clares, explains that Science Week "has become a benchmark as a space for communication between society and the academic world and for the dissemination of quality science on a European scale, bringing research to the entire territory, from small towns to major cities."

Science Day in Schools

On November 11th, the 21st edition of Science in Schools Day, a true classic of the Catalan Science Foundation (FCRI), will take place, organized by the FCRI with the support of the Government of Catalonia. This event will include three sessions dedicated to economics, AI, and technology, presented in a live-streamed format from the FCRI headquarters in Barcelona. The economics session will be led by Albert Sant, Head of Talent and Culture at BBVA Catalunya. The artificial intelligence session will be led by Víctor Gómez, Head of Operations in Catalonia at BBVA. And Antonio Rubio, Professor Emeritus of Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), will lead the technology session.

The participating students, from 3rd and 4th year of ESO (Compulsory Secondary Education) and 1st year of Bachillerato (Upper Secondary Education), have previously worked on the selected subjects through videos in which scientists themselves presented them with a scientific challenge to solve in class.

More activities related to SC'25

On Thursday, November 13, the FCRI will present in Tremp, in Pallars Jussà, The Power of Water, a tour of landscapes and facilities of the Pyrenees available in the Scientific Tourism portal which showcases the role of this element as a natural resource and its transformation into energy and a driver of development. The route traverses seven natural sites and hydroelectric power plants in the Lleida Pyrenees, combining nature, engineering, and history in a sustainable scientific tourism offering for school groups and families with children.

Furthermore, the University of Alicante (UA) campus in San Vicente del Raspeig will host the final of the seventh edition of the Science Club Monologue Competition on Friday, November 21, between 12 and 2 pm. The competition is jointly organized by the FCRI and the Xarxa V monologuistas (Network of Comedians). The initiative is supported by BBVA, the Institut d'Estudis Catalans, and Casio Educació. The competition aims to promote the communication of science in Catalan in a concise and engaging way through three-minute humorous monologues on scientific topics, performed by the finalist students and scientists.