Innovation and Science Festival

A festival that brings science to everyone

The Innovation and Science Festival is the flagship event of Settimo Torinese, located in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont. Established in 2013 on the initiative of the Municipality through the Fondazione Esperienze di Cultura Metropolitana (Fondazione ECM), the festival aims to bring the general public closer to the themes of innovation and research, blending outreach, hands-on experience, and dialogue. Over more than a decade, it has engaged thousands of school classes and hosted hundreds of speakers from the worlds of science, culture, and media.

The 2026 theme: "Reactions"

The 14th edition, scheduled from October 4th to 11th, 2026, revolves around the theme "Reactions": in an increasingly interconnected world, every scientific discovery, technological innovation, or social change generates consequences that propagate far beyond the starting point. Chemical, physical, economic, and geopolitical reactions thus become the key to interpreting the present and imagining the future. The program spans space, artificial intelligence, robotics, virtual reality, sustainability, neuroscience, geopolitics, arts, and sports.

How it is organized

The festival has two complementary spirits: weekdays are dedicated to schools, with workshops, conferences, and shows tailored for students and teachers; on weekends, the event opens up to the public with appointments spread across the city's iconic landmarks. The 2026 offering includes approximately eighty school workshops, in-depth conferences, workshops, a scientific outreach show, and the "Warrior Plants" exhibition.

The festival venues

The heart of the event is the Archimede Library, supported by a dozen city venues: the Freidano Ecomuseum, the Teatro Garybaldi - Suoneria, the Medieval Tower, the Pieve di San Pietro in Vincoli (with special opening hours), Piazza della Libertà, and various outdoor spaces along Via Italia, where the large Scientific Village comes to life. The 14th edition also takes on a metropolitan dimension, involving eleven municipalities in the Turin area and the regional territory.

The guests

Announced protagonists for 2026 include geopolitical analyst Dario Fabbri, biologist and science communicator Barbara Gallavotti, human and digital rights activist Pegah Moshir Pour, CERN Chief Information Officer Enrica Maria Porcari, writer Francesco Muzzopappa, artist Margherita Vicario, and Olympic sprinter Filippo Tortu. In past editions, the festival has welcomed names such as Alessandro Barbero, Zerocalcare, Roberto Saviano, Paolo Nespoli, and Dario Bressanini.