During European Science Open Forum, ESOF, researchers, journalists, decision makers, communicators and the general public attended over five days to listen to papers and debates and to share experiences with European colleagues.
The theme in 2008 was Science for a Better Life, and the well placed and well attended Swedish stand concentrated on Health.
Carl Johan Sundberg, Assistant Professor at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, and founder of ESOF 2004, was moderator of the Swedish papers which dealt with communication. The debate concerned both the gap between researchers and politicians and that between researchers and the media.
This conference was the third of its kind. This year it was attended by around 5000 delegates. The two previous conferences were held in Stockholm in 2004 and Munich in 2006, with 1,800 and 2,200 delegates respectively. The aim of ESOF is to create an open forum for debate on research and technology, strengthen the bonds between research and society, contribute to the integration of research and technology, and influence policy in research and technology.
Italy will host the next conference which will be held on 2-7 July 2010, with scientific passion as the theme.