European Researchers’ Night in Oeiras sets visitor record with over 5,000 visitors

ITQB NOVA and the Municipality of Oeiras held, on the last Friday of September (25 September), the biggest edition ever of the European Researchers’ Night in Oeiras, welcoming more than 5,000 visitors. Children, families, students and curious minds of all ages came to Jardins do Palácio Marquês de Pombal to celebrate science, as part of an initiative marked across Europe.

The event brought together the best of the research carried out in the Municipality and surrounding areas, with dozens of activities promoted by more than 35 institutions and projects, and 7 Science Clubs.

The programme blended science, technology, the environment and creativity, in a true open-air science festival. From bench experiments to robotics and demonstrations, the venue kept up a steady pace of discovery.

At the centre of the site, the telescope became an unavoidable meeting point, drawing a queue that, for the most determined, lasted right up to the end of the event. Moving through the crowd, a solar car crossed the lawn, among people “travelling” with virtual reality headsets, games, and a giant DNA molecule being built by visitors. There were also tastings, talks and a trail to observe the gardens’ biodiversity.

ITQB NOVA’s stand was one of the main stopping points, inspired by Tetris and inviting visitors to “enter the game of science”, piece by piece, highlighting how knowledge is built on knowledge and the importance of the fundamental science developed at the Institute. ITQB NOVA’s participation included contributions from the laboratories of Organometallic Chemistry and Catalysis; Control of Gene Expression; Plant–Microbiome Interactions; Molecular Genetics; Genetics and Genomics of Complex Plant Traits (PlantX); Bioorganic Chemistry; AI-driven Optical Biology; Plant Functional Genomics; Microbial Interactions Biotechnology; and also featured a quiz challenging visitors to recognise milestones and “pieces” of ITQB NOVA discoveries from the past two decades.

At this stand, the public was able to see concrete examples of how scientists and citizens work side by side towards a common goal, through the Citizen Science Programme run by ITQB NOVA and the Municipality of Oeiras.

At the European Corner, visitors learned about European projects including ORIGIN and MPS_NOVA Twinning, as well as Evamobs, Comenze, BIOH2GEN and EUTOPIA_HEALTH.

The edition was attended by the Secretary of State for Science and Innovation, Helena Canhão; NOVA’s Rector, Paulo Pereira; Oeiras City Councillor, Pedro Patacho; and a member of the Ciência Viva Board, Susana Ferreira.

After a night full of experiments, questions and discoveries, the event returns in 2027.

In Portugal, the European Researchers’ Night is promoted in 2026 and 2027 through the BRIDGES project – Bridges for Science: Engaging Researchers, Schools, and Citizens for a Sustainable Future for Europe– funded by the European Commission via the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). This project is coordinated by ITQB NOVA, in partnership with i3S and Ciência Viva.

Photo credit: Oeiras Municipality