The Regional Director for Science and Technology stressed today the importance of the “MacaroNight – European Night of Macaronesian Researchers’” project, to be held on September 27, as a “driving force for the dissemination of scientific culture,” noting that such initiatives “reinforce the networking” of the Azores Science Centres.

In this regard, Bruno Pacheco defended that the Regional Government’s strategy is precisely aimed at ensuring that regional Science Centres will “increase networking practices, taking the most varied activities to all islands of the archipelago.”

“The intention is to multiply, replicate and extend the major initiatives for the dissemination of scientific culture to all islands,” said the Regional Director, who spoke at the press conference for the presentation of the second edition of this initiative to take place at the Sea Pavilion in Ponta Delgada.

MacaroNight will include the participation of the six regional Science Centres, School of New Technologies of the Azores, Europe Direct Azores and guest researchers.

The Sea Observatory will present the activity “Diving into the Future” in which visitors may have the opportunity, for example, to be the operators of a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV). The Volcanological and Geothermal Observatory will focus on the theme “Satellites: analysing the present, safeguarding the future” to highlight the importance of satellites for the knowledge of the earth.

The activity of the Microbial Observatory will focus on the theme of “Biotechnology of Microorganisms.” In turn, the Santana Astronomical Observatory will present the theme “Discovering Space to Understand the Earth,” which will include the demonstration of space technologies, mobile planetarium activities and an interactive space featuring space technologies using robotics.

The Environment Observatory will develop a series of activities related to the theme “Your choice makes a difference! Be sustainable!” while EXPOLAB will organise various practical activities on the theme “Which future for the environment? Which environment for the future?”

This year, the European Researchers’ Night will be structured in nine venues, six of which will be under the responsibility of Science Centres. The other three will be dedicated to the “Pitch with Researchers,” the Planetarium and the Robotics Space, under the responsibility of the School of New Technologies of the Azores.

At today’s press conference, the Regional Director stated that November will be the “Month of Science.” As it happened last year under the “Fifteen Days of Science and Technology” initiative,” there are several activities and initiatives planned on all islands of the archipelago.

Among the various initiatives to be organised by the Azores Science Centres, there will be a “Science Fair” in Angra do Heroísmo, which will bring a European Researchers’ Night exhibition to Terceira Island.

The “MacaroNight” initiative is funded by the European Commission through the Horizon 2020 programme under the Marie-Curie Actions and involves the participation of several partners from the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands.