On September 5, 2025, the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) in Genoa will host an event exploring the relationship between frontier science and journalism. Organised in collaboration with FRONTIERS and the Association of ERC Grantees (AERG), the initiative will bring together researchers, policymakers, and science journalism organisations to discuss why funding frontier research matters and how journalism can help society address this question.

Speakers will include representatives from research and science journalism: Maria Leptin, ERC President; Giorgio Metta, IIT Scientific Director; Michele Mazzola, Head of the Office for the Internationalization of Research at MUR; Michele Guerrini, Italian Counsellor for Research and Innovation to the EU; Brando Benifei, Member of the European Parliament and STOA member; Agnieszka Wykowska, AERG board member and IIT researcher; Axel Cleeremans, AERG President and Professor at Université libre de Bruxelles; Agnès Vernet, President of the European Federation for Science Journalism; Edward Day, Press Officer at the Science Media Center in London; Terry O’Connor, Head of Special Projects at EMBO; and Marcin Monko, Head of Sector Media and Content at the ERC. Daniela Ovadia and Fabio Turone (CESJ and FRONTIERS) will present insights from the project’s first year.

Participation is open to all, subject to registration and until capacity is reached. The event will take place at IIT’s Auditorium in Genoa, Italy, starting at 10:00 CEST.

Visit this page for more information and the full programme.