CIÊNCIA VIVA

REDE CENTROS CIÊNCIA VIVA

The 7 ^th

Gago Conference on European Science Policy

Brussels | October 13 ^th

2026

[...]. Considerable time should be devoted to setting up a dialogue in each member State on the issue of human resources for science, engineering and technology, helping policy-makers understand what is required, and building bridges between national and European actors. Dialogue between industrial and academic organizations in Europe should also be pursued.

_{José Mariano Gago In "Europe needs more scientists", European Commission, Brussels, 2004}

Which opportunities for Europe to foster science as a European Public Good in the era of abundance of knowledge, AI, and misinformation?

The 7 ^thGago Conference on European Science Policy

A joint organization of the European Parliament and Ciência Viva – Portuguese Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture, with CESAER and MCAA - Marie Curie Alumni Association

Brussels, 13th October, 2026

Brief Conference Outline

The 7th Gago Conference on European Science Policy will be organized at the European Parliament. It aims to discuss scientific and technological culture as a European Public Goodto inform the current debate in Europe about the definition of the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework(MFF 2028-2034) and the related funding programs and institutions, including the expected revisited Cohesion Policyand the future European Framework Program for Research and Innovation, FP-10 (ie, Horizon Europe). Following the initial proposal from the European Commission of July 2025 and the recent review and profound alterations approved by the European Parliament in April 2026, the main budget decisions are expected to be taken by December 2026 by the Council of the European Union, to be followed by programmatic decisions in 2027, which will influence many other funding lines and institutional strategies at European, National and Regional levels.

The Conference will bring scientists and innovators together with policy makers, civic entrepreneurs, philanthropic institutions, institutional program managers, science educators and professionals of museums and science centers to address novel forms of Science Culturein emerging insecure and polarizing societies facing misinformation and the abundance of knowledge. The discussion is framed in terms of the challenges and opportunities to strengthen and promote scientific and technological culturethrough “human agency”. It is based on changing collective behaviors leading to preparedness, prevention and readinessthrough collective resilient and cooperative societies throughout Europe.

The unique global robustness of the European welfare systems, democracies and approach towards sustainability requires a revisited understanding of scientific and technological cultureas a fundamental European Public Good. This requires engaging the youth and adopting a risk-taking attitude by accepting failures as steps towards success, in a context driven by the massification of digital systems and AI, together with misinformation.

Background note

Europe is facing a unique opportunity to better foster knowledge towards its strategic autonomy at a world level. This means promoting the future of youth, strengthening the uniqueness of the European welfare systems and fostering science-based competitiveness ^{^[1]}. It certainly applies to advanced data infrastructures and cybersecurity, energy systems and transitions, space systems and satellite capabilities, biotech and health systems ^{^[2]}, but it should also mean strengthening Europe’s distinctive institutions, including public health and education systems, together with endogenous resources (e.g., energy, water, forest) in quite diversified urban and rural systems throughout Europe. And this can only be achieved with a revisited and strengthened approach to scientific and technological culture.

Over four years of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the increasing tragedies in the Middle East and African wars and with a new US administration in place, strengthening the European “way of life” and the uniqueness of Europe´s welfare systems require continuous innovations ^{^[3]}. Prosperity is built by designing systems that fit real assets and real needs and not by copying a single model (e.g., Silicon Valey) ^{^[4]}. In other words, strengthening European values and democracies requires engaging people on continuously designing better futures. And this requires, more than ever before, public engagement in scientific knowledge and, therefore, depends on the nature and characteristics of scientific and technological culture.

In a context of increased uncertainty ^{^[5]} driven by emerging geopolitical tensions, together with the abundance of information and the rise of Chinese science, the 7 ^th Gago Conference on European science Policy will focus on revisited approaches to scientific and technological culture to strengthen public support and understanding of science in the era of abundance of knowledge, AI, and misinformation. It is becoming critically relevant Europeans learn how to face uncertainty, together with the fragmentation of multilateralism and the polarization of our societies. Fostering the influence of scientists and of scientific institutions on society and ensuring the relevance of science and technology to societal needs are paramount ^{^[6]} . The real issue is not a baseline lack of trust, but rather the fact that confidence in science has become collateral damage in broader processes of political polarization [7] . This includes the fight towards truth and against misinformation. In other words, European strategic autonomy is inseparable from the way Europeans take risk, foster public investment, and promote innovation as a common capability. And this requires strengthening scientific and technological culture as an effective European Public Good ^{^[8]} and fundamental “Value”. This is also aligned with the International Science Council’s position paper on ”Science as a Global Public Good”, which argues that “science has two fundamental attributes that underpin its value as a global public good: that knowledge claims and the evidence on which they are based are made openly available to scrutiny, and that the results of scientific research are communicated promptly and efficiently so that all who may wish or need to access those results can do so” ^{^[9]} .

Recent analysis has shown that still many Europeans face the challenge of understanding how scientific and technological progress can contribute to a more secure, sustainable, and inclusive future for all its citizens, addressing concerns about misinformation and ensuring equitable access to innovation ^{^[10]} and to “good jobs” ^{^[11]} . In addition, today’s world witnesses the rise of new obstacles to discovery and dissemination of knowledge, threatening basic freedoms. The same way democracy cannot be taken for granted and we must fight for it; freedom of research is at risk. Europe is, therefore, at a critical and pivotal moment to differentiate from global geopolitical powers, including US and China.

Research and innovation have a strong role in Europe creating the choices to shape its future. But the world is changing and it is facing so many challenges with different characteristics – political, economic, technological, environmental, demographic – so is research and innovation in its expectations, processes and governance. New developments affect also the research and innovation communities, such as the use of AI ^{^[12]}, or perspectives for younger generations.

The emerging massified use of AI-enabled innovations is not free of new societal challenges because the “power it has to make us act in the ways it predicts reduces our agency over the future” ^{^[13]} . In predicting our behaviour, AI systems can end up changing it. Consequently, collective human wisdom needs to be strengthened so that emerging regulatory issues for an increasing digital age should help promote critical approaches to AI, with clear accountability and clarity about boundaries and purpose, as well as responsibility ^{^[14]} . It requires rethinking of the techno-centric narrative of progress, embracing and harnessing uncertainty , as well as abandoning the fantasy of control over nature and the illusion of techno-centric dominance of AI-enabled innovations ^{^[15]} .

The issue is clear in that it creates tensions between developers/promoters and human-led policy making, which need to be informed by negotiations of trade-offs. Above all, it requires a transdisciplinary approach to collective behaviours ^{^[16]} and consideration of “human agency” across economics, philosophy, law, science and technology studies, history and sociology to engage with all the necessary ingredients of an emerging decentralized digital age and AI-enabled innovations.

Following Joseph Henrich (2016) ^{^[17]}, among others, the “secret of our species´ success resides not in the power of our individual minds, but in the collective brains of our communities. Our collective brains arise from the synthesis of our cultural and social natures – from the fact that we readily learn from others (are cultural) and can, with the right norms, live in large and widely interconnected groups (are social)”. He shows that larger and more interconnect societies produce more “know-how” and that “the challenge has always been how to prevent communities from fragmenting and social networks from dissolving”. Following Helga Novotny ^{^[18]}, digital observation and governance should be oriented to promote “digital humanism” and guarantee a transdisciplinary approach to collective behaviours and consideration of “human agency”.

Science Culture as a fundamental “ European value”

The 7 ^th Gago Conference on European Science Policy will build on emerging reflections about the founding principles raised thirty years ago by Feynman ^{^[19]}, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist who argued very clearly that science is a "method for finding things out" and that it depends primarily on rigorous observation methods. Feynman addressed the need to understand three ways of describing scientific activity, namely in terms of: i) the method of "doing" science; ii) the “body of scientific knowledge” that results from doing science; and iii) the “application” of science, generally associated with technology, which can be of the most varied types, including medical treatments and the cure of diseases, as well as critical technologies for military or other purposes. However, in an emerging context driven by uncertainty and misinformation, understanding scientific knowledge and its critical role for the future of Europe requires a revisited understanding of science culture as a fundamental “European value”.

In other words, understanding science as a European Public Good will allow citizens to be integral and critical stakeholders in future developments. The latter will help policymakers better understand how decentralized digital networks and AI can be used to develop further to make public services more effective by delivering seamless services, cutting down digital bureaucracy and giving citizens back their most precious asset, namely their time. In addition, it will drive new policy options to enhance the governance and regulation of decentralized digital networks, including those in the public sector, ensuring high standards of conduct across all areas of public sector practice, promoting public sector effectiveness and delivering better service to its users.

Participants of the 7 ^th Gago Conference on European Science Policy are expected to design, discuss and approve the Brussels Manifesto - Fostering Scientific and Technological Culture as a European Public Good ”.

^{^[1]}European Commission (2026), Soete, L., Schwaag-Serger, S., Stierna, J. and Landabaso, M. - For an Innovative, Sustainable and Fair Economy in Europe, Joint Research Centre, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2026, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/0336180, JRC140513 https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC140513.

^{^[2]}European Commission (2023), “Research, innovation, and technology policy in times of geopolitical competition”, European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Dixson-Declève, S., Renda, A., Schwaag Serger, S. et al., Publications Office of the European Union, 2023, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/745596. See also, European Commission (2023), “The global position of the EU in complex technologies”, European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Di Girolamo, V., Mitra, A., Ravet, J. et al., Publications Office of the European Union, 2023, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/454786.

^{^[3]}European Parliament Research Services, EPRS (2025), “EU welfare systems and the challenges of poverty and inequality”, Nora Milotay, Eamonn Noonan (editors), Denise Chircop, Klaus Müller, Cecilia Navarra, Magdalena Pasikowska-Schnass; PE 698.916 – October, Brussels, European Union, 2022.

^{^[4]}Breznitz, J. (2021), “Innovation in Real Places”, Oxford University Press, London.

^{^[5]}European Commission (2023 c), “Transformation in the poly-crisis age”, European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Dixson-Declève, S., Renda, A., Isaksson, D. et al., Publications Office of the European Union, 2023, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/360282.

^{^[6]}Larson, H.J. and Bersoff, D.M. (2025), “Science´s big problem is a loss of influence, not a loss of trust”, N ature 640 , 314-317 (2025); doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-01068-1.

[7]Lupia, A., Allison, D. B., Jamieson, K. H., Heimberg, J., Skipper, M., and Wolf, S. M. 2024. “Trends in Us Public Confidence in Science and Opportunities for Progress.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences121(11): e2319488121.

^{^[8]}Bruegel (2024), ‘A conceptual framework for the identification and governance of European public goods’, Claeys, G. and A. Steinbach, Working Paper 14/2024, Bruegel. See also, Bruegel (2025), “European public goods: the time for action is now“, Anev Janse, K., R. Beetsma, M. Buti, K. Regling and N. Thygesen, Analysis, 15 January, Bruegel.

^{^[9]}https://council.science/news/science-as-a-global-public-good/

^{^[10]}Eurobarometer (2024), European citizens’ knowledge and attitudes towards science and technology, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024, SPECIAL EUROBAROMETER 557; doi 10.2777/6040908.

^{^[11]}Rodrik, D. (2022), “An Industrial Policy for Good Jobs”, The Hamilton Project, September 2022; https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20220928_THP_Proposal_Rodrik_GoodJobs.pdf. See also, European Commission (2023 c), “Transformation in the poly-crisis age”, European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Dixson-Declève, S., Renda, A., Isaksson, D. et al., Publications Office of the European Union, 2023, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/360282.

^{^[12]}AI (2024), “The AI Index 2024 Annual Report”, Maslej et al., AI Index Steering Committee, Institute for Human-Centered AI, Stanford, University, Stanford, CA, April 2024. The AI Index 2024 Annual Report by Stanford University is licensed under Attribution-N. Derivatives 4.0 International; https://aiindex.stanford.edu/report/. See also, Atomico (2024), State of European Tech 23; Atomico; https://stateofeuropeantech.com/.

^{^[13]}Helga Nowotny (2021), “In AI we Trust: power, Illusion and Control of predictive algorithms”, Polity Books

^{^[14]}Thelisson, E., Morin, J.-H., Rochel, J. (2019), “AI Governance: digital responsibility as a building block”, 2 DELPHI 167

^{^[15]}Karamjit S. Gill (2022), Book review, “Nowotny 2021: In AI we trust”, AI& Society, January 2021

^{^[16]}See, for example, the work of Bak-Coleman et al (2021), “Stewardship of global collective behavior “, PNAS, June 21, 2021.

^{^[17]}J. Henrich (2016), “The secret of our success: how culture is driving human evolution, domesticating our species, and making us smarter”, Princeton University Press.

^{^[18]}Helga Nowotny (2021), “In AI we Trust: power, Illusion and Control of predictive algorithms”, Polity Books.

^{^[19]}Feynman, R. (1998), “The Meaning of it All: Thoughts of a Citizen-Scientist”.

The context: The Gago Conferences on European Science Policy

The Gago Conferences on European Science Policyprovide an international forum to strengthen the debate on emerging issues of research and innovation policy in Europe and promote the necessary involvement of major stakeholders in policymaking and the diffusion of knowledge in science education and culture (details at https://www.cienciaviva.pt/gagoconf/home#). The Conferences also seek to strengthen international scientific and technological cooperation networking in Europe towards a positive impact on a global scale.

Science and technology (S&T) are key global resources for our collective future, wealth, job creation and shared prosperity at home and abroad. The impact of S&T and innovation result from a collaborative, long-term, collective and uncertain process involving an extensive division of labour, which requires massifying the training of human resources and qualifying the labour force in many economic sectors. Increasing interest in these processes has driven innovative research and practice across various businesses and academic disciplines - from management, marketing, engineering and economics to public policy, sociology, history and law.

"Science is a battle ground, it's not neutral. And if you know it's not neutral, it becomes interesting. It can become part of the modern youth culture. You must choose between generosity and greed, between peace and war, and choose between disclosing or hiding the truth"...

José Mariano Gago (2001)

The primary objective of these conferences is to bring together leading representatives from academic, business, social, cultural and government sectors worldwide to present and discuss current and future issues of critical importance for European science and technology, including their impact on fostering social and economic development and shared prosperity both at home and abroad. Multidisciplinary perspectives are encouraged to provide state-of-the-art and useful knowledge to decision-makers in the private, public and social sectors - including informed and effective education, culture, business, government policies and strategies for Europe.

Organizing Committee of the 7th Gago Conference, Brussels 2026

Carla Tavares , MEP
Manuel Heitor, Center for Innovation, Techn. and Policy Research, IN+@IST, U. of Lisbon
Mattias Björnmalm , Secretary General of CESAER
Mostafa M. Shawar av , Executive Director, MCAA
Pedro Ru sso , President, Ciencia Viva, Portugal

Target participants:

The conference will gather high-level participants and speakers, including:

Policy makers in European member states, the European Commission and the European Parliament, together with leaders of science and innovation agencies in Europe;
Scientists, Research and Business leaders and other representatives from research and business institutions, as well as philanthropic institutions.
Representatives of young researchers´ associations and education institutions,
Leaders of science centers across Europe
Representatives of key stakeholders in Europe, including European regions.
Civic entrepreneurs and Citizens

Programme

9:00 - Reception

9:30 - Opening session

Welcome:

Carla Tavares (MEP)

Key note lecture:

Ekaterina Zarahieva, European Commissionner for Startups, Research and Innovation

Panel Discussion:

Commissionner Ekaterina Zarahieva in conversation with Carla Tavares (MEP) and science policy experts, Rosalia Vargas, Jean Pierre Bourguignon and Elga Novotny.
Moderator: Maryline Fiaschi, Science|Business

10:15 - Session 1: Science & Society: citizens, scientists, policymakers and the fight against ignorance

Chair: Carla Tavares (MEP)

Keynote speechs:

Kristina Kallas, Minister of Education and Research, Estonia.

Panel Discussion:

Rene Repasi (Member of European Parliament, S&D, Germany) in conversation with Kristina Kallas
Moderator: Florin Zubascu (or Ole Ellekrog), Science Business.

Open Debate

11:15 - Session 2: Truth in the era of AI and misinformation

Chair: Lina Galvez, MEP.

Keynote speech:

Sylvia S Serger, Président, IVA – Swedish Royal Academy of Engineering, Univ of Lund, Sweden

Panel discussion:

Lina Galvez (Member of European Parliament, S&D, Spain) in conversation with science policy experts, Sylvia Serger, Robbert Dijkgraaf (President International Science Council, Former Minister of Education, Science and Culture, the Netherlands), Melissa Terras (Professor of Digital Cultural Heritage, University of Edinburgh; Director, Centre for Data, Culture & Society, UK) and Alice Bell (Head of Policy, Climate and Health, Wellcome Trust, UK).

Moderator: Ole Ellekrog, Science Business

Concluding Remarks:

Teresa Riera, former MEP (S&D), SP

12:45 - Lunch break

14:00 - Session 3: Science Culture and the search for Reliable knowledge in the era of knowledge abundance

Chair: Christian Elher, MEP (EPP), Germany

Brief introductory speeches:

Maria Leptin, President, ERC, Germany
Fabiola Gianotti, CERN, former president, Italy
Angel Font, Director, LaCaixa Foundation, Spain

Panel discussion:

Christian Elher, MEP (EPP, Germany) in conversation with Maria Leptin, Fabiola Gianotti and Angel Font
Moderator: Florin Zubascu (or Ole Ellekrog), Science Business

Concluding Remarks:

Elga Novotny, Former president of ERC, Professor emeritus of Social Studies of Science, ETH Zurich

15:00 - Session 4: Science communication in the era of social polarization and the abundance of information

Chair: Pedro Russo, Ciencia Viva, Portugal.

Brief introductory speeches:

Robert Bergsvik, TRANSGOV, Wageningen University & Research, Environmental Policy, the Netherlands
Sicco de Knecht, NEWS Center for Science & Society, the Netherlands.
Pedro Conceição, UNDP, Human Development Report, Director

Panel discussion:

Rene Repasi MEP (EPP, Germany) in conversation with Robert Bergsvik , Sicco de Knecht, Pedro Conceição and Maria Manuel Leitão Marques (former MEP, S&D, PT)
Moderator: Rosalia Vargas (Ciência Viva)

16:00 - Coffee Break

16:30 - Session 5: Promoting Science Culture as a European Public Good under the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF 2028-2034) and the related funding programs and institutions (Cohesion Policy and the future European Framework Program for Research and Innovation, FP-10)

Chair: Manuel Heitor

Brief introductory speeches:

James Lawless, Irish Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Presidency of the Council of EU, 2^nd semester 2026)
Luc Soete, former Rector, Univ Mastricht, the Netherlands

Panel Discussion:

Christian Ehler (Member of European Parliament, EPP, Germany) and Rene Repasi (Member of European Parliament, S&D, Spain) in conversation with Science policy experts, Ena Voûte (Vice President CESAER, TU Delft, NL), Heinz Fassmann, President, Austrian Academy of Sciences, and Catherine Cesarsky (President SKA Council, former ESO Director General and French High Commissioner for Atomic Energy) and Conny Aerts (S&T Council ERC).
Open Debate.

Moderator: Maryline Fiaschi, Science|Business

17:45 - Closure and Concluding Remarks

Presentation of the Brussels Manifesto on Scientific and technological Culture for Europe, 2026: Manuel Heitor, Mattias Björnmalm, Mostafa M. Shawarav, Pedro Russo
Brief final intervention, Carla Tavares (MEP)

The 7 th

Gago Conference on European Science Policy

Which opportunities for Europe to foster science as a European Public Good in the era of abundance of knowledge, AI, and misinformation?

Brief Conference Outline

Background note

The context: The Gago Conferences on European Science Policy

Organizing Committee of the 7th Gago Conference, Brussels 2026

Target participants:

Programme

9:00 - Reception

9:30 - Opening session

10:15 - Session 1: Science & Society: citizens, scientists, policymakers and the fight against ignorance

11:15 - Session 2: Truth in the era of AI and misinformation

12:45 - Lunch break

14:00 - Session 3: Science Culture and the search for Reliable knowledge in the era of knowledge abundance

15:00 - Session 4: Science communication in the era of social polarization and the abundance of information

16:00 - Coffee Break

16:30 - Session 5: Promoting Science Culture as a European Public Good under the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF 2028-2034) and the related funding programs and institutions (Cohesion Policy and the future European Framework Program for Research and Innovation, FP-10)

17:45 - Closure and Concluding Remarks

18:00 - End

The 7 ^th