Science 2016 brings together Portuguese researchers from all areas

The conference exceeded all expectations, with almost 4,500 registrations, over 500 posters by PhD students, 450 speakers and moderators who took part in 100 parallel sessions, and 50 hands-on demonstrations of ongoing research projects. The meeting covered many areas of scientific research, from arts and design to engineering, from the deep sea to space, from physics to education, polar science, nanotechnology, and personalized medicine, among many others.

In the seven plenary sessions, invited speakers, members of the Government, and the European Commission highlighted the areas of sea and space, health, agriculture, and history. Companies such as Critical Software and Veniam spoke of the role research plays in their business, and Hovione announced a €5 million plan for research projects, open to the scientific community, to address specific issues in the pharmaceutical industry. Open Science and the initiative More Science, Less Bureaucracy (More Science, Less Bureaucracy) were also up for debate. The importance of science was emphasized by the various policymakers and representatives of international organizations who visited the Lisbon Congress Center.

Ciência 2016 resumed the tradition of an annual meeting of the national scientific community for the presentation of the key issues, results, and open questions in the various areas of science and technology. The Ciência series began in 2007 and continued until 2010, making it a unique moment of encounter for the Portuguese scientific community. At the end of the meeting, the 2017 edition was announced.

Science 2016 was organized by the Foundation for Science and Technology, in collaboration with Ciência Viva – National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture, the Academy of Sciences, and the Parliamentary Commission for Education and Science, with the support of the Portuguese Ministry for Science, Technology, and Higher Education. Interviews conducted during the meeting are available on Facebook. @scienceencounter and tweet with the hashtag #science2016en, and the opening and closing ceremony videos are available at www.ciencia2016.pt.

Photo Credits: Science 2016