Trieste Next

Science comes to the square

Trieste is the Italian city with the highest concentration of researchers and one of the highest in Europe. From this extraordinary density of knowledge, Trieste Next was born in 2012, the Festival of Scientific Research that every September brings science out of the laboratories and places it at the centre of city life, in Piazza Unità d'Italia, the largest square overlooking the sea in Europe.

Three days of shared knowledge

For three days, the festival offers over a hundred events and hundreds of speakers: conferences, dialogues, seminars, workshops for schools, and exhibition spaces where research centres showcase their activities. Each edition revolves around a major theme that intertwines different disciplines, from neuroscience to artificial intelligence, from biology to social sciences, with a popular science approach that speaks to everyone, from specialists to the simply curious.

A unique scientific ecosystem

The festival is promoted by the Municipality of Trieste and the University of Trieste, together with the publishing group Nem and Il Piccolo, with the collaboration of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region and the major scientific institutions of the area: Area Science Park, the OGS (National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics), and the SISSA. A network that makes Trieste an international benchmark for research.

From awards to PhD students

Trieste Next is not just about dissemination: the festival awards the Trieste Next – Science Book of the Year Prize for the best scientific book of the year and hosts hundreds of PhD students and young researchers from all over Italy. With a growing international dimension and programmes in English, it is now one of the most important events on the Italian scientific calendar.