Awakening scientific and technological vocations at an early age has been the mission of Expociència for three decades, a unique event in the Valencian Community that trains delighting in science, technology and innovation, in the heat of the facilities of the Parc Científic de la Universitat de València (PCUV). Conceived for family audiences, the capacity of congregation has hardly been altered throughout its fifteen years of history. More than 4,000 visitors come every May to learn, through fun and games, about the milestones, curiosities and the most outstanding advances arising from the laboratories and companies of the academic institution.
Free of charge, this open-door event, to be held on the morning of Saturday, May 6, offers the possibility of creating molecules, cooking in the Arctic, sharing the sea for its conservation, playing with chemistry and magnetism, eating with bacteria or inflating balloons with yeast, discovering the power of light, saving bees, learning the secrets of plants or launching rockets. Although Expociència comprises a single day, the organization mobilizes the participation of more than 600 people, mostly from research institutes and the business area of the Science Park, an ecosystem of knowledge and innovation located near the Burjassot-Paterna Campus of the UV.
"The involvement of so many people makes it possible for us to be one of the few spaces that dedicates its efforts to bring together the best of science, technology and innovation through more than a hundred activities and workshops. This is what really makes us unique," says Pedro Carrasco, director of the Science Park.
The activities are prepared by the research institutes of the University of Valencia and the CSIC located in the PCUV, as well as by university entities such as the School of Engineering (ETSE), the UV Museum of Natural History or the Fira Experimenta. Visitors will be able to share experiences with great researchers, such as those working at the European Space Agency or the CERN Large Particle Accelerator, or those involved in biodiversity conservation, energy efficiency and the environment.
"The involvement of so many people makes it possible for us to be one of the few spaces that dedicates its efforts to bring together the best of science, technology and innovation through more than a hundred activities. This is what really makes us unique", Pedro Carrasco, director of the Science Park.
Entrada de la zona empresarial del Parc Científic de la Universitat de València. Foto: Miguel Lorenzo
Among the recreational proposals, the 'Immersive 3D experience: Visionarium', from the Institute of Robotics and Information and Communication Technologies (IRTIC); 'We girls are warriors and also engineers, and scientists.... ', a traveling exhibition of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC); 'Create your own soap fossil', from the Natural History Museum; Plant Wars, from the Institute of Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio); 'Com ens poden ajudar les zones humides a mitigar el canvi climàtic', from the Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (ICBiBE); 'Por qué hacen pop las palomitas', from the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC); '¿Cuánta materia oscura hay en tu cintura? ', from the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC); or the mythical Blandiblú workshop from the Institute of Molecular Science (ICMol). In addition, several activities organized by the City of Arts and Sciences (CAC) and the Astronomical Observatory (OAUV) will recognize the figure of the Valencian astronomer Jerónimo Muñoz on his fifth centenary.
"The open day represents a showcase for the advances that emanate from the companies of the Park, as an opportunity for innovation to permeate among the youngest people," says Encarna Torres, coordinator of the program at the FPCUV
Along with the research institutes, five companies based at the Science Park will also participate, including Dawako Medtech, Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence, ValGenetics, Analog Devices and ADM Biopolis. "The open day represents a showcase for the advances that emanate from the companies in the Parc, as an opportunity for innovation to permeate among the youngest people," says Encarna Torres, coordinator of the program at the FPCUV, a project that has the support of the Regional Ministry of Innovation, Universities, Science and Innovation.
During the celebration, the awards of Media100cia, the audiovisual contest for the promotion of scientific dissemination promoted by the University of Valencia Science Park Foundation (FPCUV) and supported by the Regional Ministry of Innovation, Universities, Science and Digital Society, will also be presented in the academic area. The call has two modalities, university and non-university. In the first one, the winning proposal was Levaduras: 3, 2, 1... ¡Acción!, by Cristina Ros, and in the second, the video ¿Qué pasaría si...?, elaborated by the 3rd and 4th grade students of the Jesús-María Fuensanta school, has been awarded.
With the support of: