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Raising voices - Ushering in a new era for science centres and policy making

  • December 2013
  • EU and governance
  • Book or article
A focus group during the VOICES project

EU-finded projects like VOICES are a big part of science centres' evolution towards forums where visitors can learn, discuss and even deliberate about matters related to science, technology and society.

A feature article by Andrea Bandelli published in Spokes#2, Winter 2013.

Download the article pdf below.

With the advent of VOICES, public discussions about science and technology are no longer confined within the walls of science centres but have implications for how science and technology are embedded in society, argues Bandelli. EU-funded science engagement projects have evolved over the past two decades from experimental niche activities to widespread initiatives slated to impact European policymaking. Ecsite’s European Projects have now culminated with VOICES where science centres and museums are taking on the role of public opinion brokers in European policy. VOICES has spoken and the EU is listening.

Public resource

Project

VOICES

VOICES was a ground-breaking consultation, using the opinions of people across the EU to shape the future of European research. 1,000 citizens participated in focus groups run by Ecsite members, expressing their hopes, fears, concerns and ideas on the theme of urban waste. The results of this consultation have directly informed policy, as they were fed into several research calls for the EU Horizon 2020 funding programme.