Science 2021 meeting with 860 in-person and 9500 online participants

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The Science 2021 - Meeting with Science and Technology in Portugal, which took place from June 28 to 30 at the Lisbon Congress Center (CCL) under the theme "Science that makes Tomorrow and transforms the Economy", had more than 800 participants on site and more than 9000 who followed the sessions via live online streaming.

The Science Meeting gathers, every year, the national scientific community around a scientific program that covers all fields of science, in a multidisciplinary framework that relies on the contributions of research and development units (R&D) funded by FCT and also renowned actors in the international scientific scene, invited by the organization. This year the program included 52 sessions, including plenary and thematic, and about 300 presented papers that stimulated sharing and debate on current issues in science and technology. In addition to the sessions, 468 scientific posters were submitted by doctoral students funded by FCT and 18 video demonstrations by national R&D institutions.

On the first day of the Meeting 18 personalities from the scientific scene were awarded the Medal of Scientific Merit, which recognizes their work and contribution to the evolution of science and scientific knowledge in the country. The day was also marked by the approach to themes as diverse as digital skills in education; the future of employment; artificial intelligence; data science; virtual reality; industry, innovation and economic growth; pedagogical innovation; or the MOOCs in the promotion of science.

On the second day of the Meeting, the participation of French astronaut Jean-Jacques Favier, in the afternoon plenary session on the theme "Science and the new challenges of space-climate interaction: from Earth observation to space weather". Other topics addressed during the second day were: the Horizon Europe program; science and the economy: recovery and resilience 2021-2027; research and development in creative industries; climate change, Earth and space observation; and cooperation programs between FCT and other entities.

The last day of the Meeting focused on the theme "Science heals: the challenges and opportunities of science-health interaction" in the afternoon plenary session, with the development, distribution and worldwide application of the Covid-19 vaccine dominating the discussion, which included a communication by Kathrin Jansen, vice president of Pfizer. Genetics, neuroscience, biotechnology and oncology; health sciences; nutrition and public health; telemedicine, computational biology and medical applications; sustainable production and consumption were other topics addressed on this third day.

In an annual event, which is defined as the high point of interaction between researchers, the business sector and the general public, Ciência had France as a guest country this year and actively participated in the program through its scientific community. The French Minister of Science and Higher Education, Frédérique Vidal, spoke at the opening session, and the French Ambassador in Portugal, Florence Mangin, at the closing session.

The meeting was also attended by several national policy makers, including ministers and secretaries of state in the areas of health, economy and digital transition, territorial cohesion, environment and climate action, agriculture, enhancement of the interior and labor, social security and solidarity. Prime Minister António Costa issued a video message, presented at the opening session, in which he stressed that the theme of the meeting "reflects well the spirit of our Recovery and Resilience Program," since this program invests "nearly 40% of available funds in science, knowledge, and innovation.

In the closing session, a video message from the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, was broadcasted, in which he stressed that "creativity and future vision are an integral part of science, in the identification of solutions for the well-being of humanity" and, regarding France as a guest country, he mentioned that "events like science 2021 are still crucial in science diplomacy, in the interaction between countries and entities, for the resolution of common problems."

The Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor, summarized the meeting in the closing session, in which he stressed that "the debate of the times and the debate of transforming the economy or the science that makes tomorrow, is certainly to respond to societal pressures for critical technologies, realizing that the knowledge base of these technologies needs to be solid, and depends on both a set of infrastructures and scientific institutions in all areas of knowledge.

The Covid-19 pandemic did not pass aside from this meeting, and Helena Pereira, President of FCT, about the relationship and impact of science in the mechanisms to combat Covid-19 and the participation of Portuguese science in this process, stressed that "everything we have built in recent decades, shows the excellence of the science we have and how we can be international players in the development of knowledge."

The Science 2021 had as commissioners David Braga Malta, founder of LiMM, Cell2B and BoostPharma; Marta Oliveira, expert in launcher safety at the European Spaceport with Vitrociset; and Paula M. Alves, CEO of iBET and Professor at the University NOVA of Lisbon (ITQB and FCT-NOVA). The Science Meeting is an initiative organized by the Foundation for Science and Technology, with the collaboration of the National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture - Ciência Viva, and the institutional support of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education (MCTES) and the Commission of Education, Science, Youth and Sports of the Portuguese Parliament.

For those who did not have the opportunity to watch the event live or want to review the sessions, you can view the video recordings that are available on the Science 2021 Meeting website.