The celebration of scientific research, the European Researchers' Night, was once again organised on September 30th, 2022. Promoted by the European Commission, the yearly event supports thousands of scientists and research institutions in all European countries.
The Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (SSSA) was one of the leading supporters of BRIGHT-NIGHT and its activities in the Tuscan region in Italy. The deep dedication to the European Researchers' Night aims to increase the dissemination of diverse scientific knowledge to the community. So, the event expanded to 10 Tuscan towns where researchers shared their work through a variety of activities with a non-specialised audience of younger and older people. Special focus was paid to children and teenagers since workshops, games, demonstrations, guided tours and experiences were designed specifically for their scientific literacy level. This way, they will be able to understand how science is present in every aspect of their lives in a fun and inspiring way.
Same as last year, SoftGrip was present at the event. This time, the project stand showcased the latest prototypes, a video displaying the SoftGrip work and brochures for extra information. Additionally, Niccolò Pagliarani from the BioRobotics Institute of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna and part of the SoftGrip consortium had the opportunity to give a speech at Santa Caterina square in Pisa about SoftGrip, called “A soft robot for the agro-food industry”. Throughout the talk, he threw light on the beneficial prospects of Soft Robotics for the mushroom industry since the soft robotic grippers will be able to facilitate and improve the harvesting process. In particular, he emphasised the project's technological/scientific breakthrough character and its significance for society.
Let's hope that even more citizens will pay attention to the initiatives that spring from the European Researcher’s Night in 2023!🙏🏽
For more information on the Europe-wide event:
https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/event/2022-european-researchers-night
For the local events in Pisa (website in Italian)
https://www.bright-night.it/dove/pisa/
