The 2013 Eurobarometer ‘Responsible Research and Innovation’ shows that 77% of EU citizens agree that science and technology have a positive impact on society but that although only 40% say they feel informed about developments in this field1. Against this backdrop the CommNet project2 is rewarding projects working across the bioeconomy, that have demonstrated excellence in communicating to European citizens, policy-makers, industry or young people.
The Impact Awards ceremony will take place at the final CommNet event: Building the Bioeconomy – Creating Impact through Communication: CommNet’s 3rd Bioeconomy Forum & Final Conference - Dialogues, Debates, Awards taking place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Brussels, Belgium - 2nd – 3rd December 2014 where shortlisted projects will present their strategies and activities for communicating to one of the stakeholder groups.
The projects shortlisted in each stakeholder category, all funded under the EU Framework Programme 7, Knowledge-Based Bioeconomy3 area, are:
Engaging industry:
- BACCHUS
- Food4Me
- HealthBread
- Pleasure
Engaging policy makers
Engaging citizens
- EarlyNutrition
- Micro B3
- PharmaSea
- ProteinInsect
Inspiring young people
The winners for each category will be announced at the awards ceremony4 on the evening of December 3rd.
Mario Martinoli, the coordinator of the CommFABnet project said: “We are delighted to be rewarding projects for their efforts in communicating their research and I congratulate the projects that have made the shortlist. The results of projects in the KBBE area affect all of us and it’s vital that scientists working in EU research reach out across different stakeholder groups to ensure the value and relevance of their work is recognised.”
The entries were judged by a panel of independent individuals with expertise in science communication listed here:
- Ben Deighton, Editor, Horizon Magazine
- Christophe Cotillon, Assistant manager, ACTIA
- Wilfried Ruetten, Director, European Journalism Centre
- Daniele Colombo, Innovhub , Milan Chamber of Commerce
- Dr Robert Schwamborn, Postdoc research fellow, University College Dublin and Chair of the Young European Biotech Network
- Prof Ronan Gormley, School of Biosystems Engineering, University College Dublin
- Gary Finnegan, freelance journalist and editor
CommNet is grateful to all the Impact Award judges for volunteering their time and expertise. Professor Ronan Gormley will be giving the keynote address at the CommNet final event and will take part in the CommNet Impact Awards ceremony, along with Wilfried Reutten, who will be presenting the awards.
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Notes to editors
For more information please contact Bridget Benelam, b.benelam@nutrition.org.uk +44 (0)20 7557 7930 or +44 (0)7966 032293
- Eurobarometer Responsible Research and Innovation, Science and Technology Brussels, 14 November 2013 - http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-987_en.htm
- CommNet is supported under the name CommFABnet by the EU within FP7 Grant agreement no 289699 and provides free communications and knowledge transfer to FP6 and FP7 projects in the KBBE areas of food, fisheries, agriculture and biotechnology. More information is available at www.commnet.eu. The CommNet partners are youris.com, Minerva UK, British Nutrition Foundation, PRACSIS and ttz Bremerhaven.
- From a broad economic perspective, the bioeconomy refers to the set of economic activities relating to the invention, development, production and use of biological products and processes http://www.oecd.org/futures/long-termtechnologicalsocietalchallenges/thebioeconomyto2030designingapolicyagenda.htm
- The CommNet Impact Awards Ceremony will take place at 17.30, 3rd December Crowne Plaza Hotel Brussels, Belgium. To register for the event visit http://commnet.eu/06_Events/3rd-Bioeconomy-Forum.kl