BSBF2024 DOSSIER EN

Big Science Business Forum 2024 – Trieste, Italy 115 Big Science Business Forum 2024 – Trieste, Italy 114 8. Scientific Programme The program structure was conceived in 2022, during Italy’s bid to host the 2024 edition of BSBF in Trieste, presented by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region in partnership with ILO Network Italia, PromoTurismo FVG and Area Science Park . The drafting of the final program, based on the project proposal submitted during the candidacy process and the execution of related scientific activities, was entrusted to ILO Network Italia, in collaboration with the European Industrial Liaison Officers association (PERIIA) and the other involved parties. The coordination of BSBF 2024 activities, under an agreement with the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region as lead partner and Area Science Park, was entrusted to ENEA’s Directorate for Technology Transfer. The scientific activities were supervised by representatives of the 10 Big Science Organizations promoting the event: CERN, ESA, ESO, ESRF, ESS, European XFEL, F4E, FAIR, and SKAO. All of the aforementioned entities are represented within the BSBF 2024 IOC— International Organizing Committee, the collective body responsible for the entire scientific project. From the moment Trieste was selected as the host city, efforts were directed towards creating a particularly innovative edition, extending the program by half a day and introducing new innovative elements both before and during the Forum. Thus, in addition to confirming numerous activities from the previous edition— such as the 16 parallel sessions—it was possible to expand the program to include 6 plenary sessions , 8 satellite sessions , and increase the exhibition space dedicated to businesses by one-third. The collaboration between the organizing entities, the promoting BSOs, businesses, and various other stakeholders also resulted in the highest number of speakers attending BSBF2024 in Trieste. A total of 152 speakers from 25 different countries participated, with half representing the BSOs, one-third coming from other international or national organizations, and about 15% from the industrial sector. This is evident not only from the quantitative data regarding the number of speakers (which increased both in total and specifically among BSO representatives) but also when comparing this data with previous editions, considering the topics covered and the engagement methods used for invited speakers. In addition to featuring more speakers than in the two previous editions, it is worth noting the broader range of topics covered and the greater level of in-depth discussion (with career opportunities being a prime example). Among themost significant events, for the first time: • Summit of Leaders Representatives from the ten BSOs gathered on the same stage to jointly discuss the future of Big Science, officially opening BSBF2024. • Einstein Telescope During the opening session, the importance of this new international infrastructure for the Big Science community was presented, featuring a joint intervention from the two national candidates competing to host it. • Focus on Central and Eastern Europe A dedicated session explored opportunities offered by Big Science to Central and Eastern European countries, featuring speakers from eight nations (including Ukraine) selected during the BSBF2024 roadshow. • Common Big Science Market Two sessions brought together companies, BSO representatives, and experts to explore strategies for creating an integrated Big Science Market in Europe, adopting a bottom-up approach. • International Procurement A dedicated session focused on innovative procurement tools, aimed at fostering public-private partnerships and facilitating access for new enterprises in the sector. • Job Opportunities A plenary session was introduced to address the Big Science labor market, managed through the European Commission's EURES Network, which generated thousands of contacts, including remote interactions. At the same time, several well-established elements from past editions were further developed. These included: • Identifying new internationally relevant infrastructures with potential interest. Two parallel sessions were dedicated to this, allowing nine selected ABSOs to present their opportunities to a wide audience. • Explanatory sessions on available tools for European SMEs, aimed at facilitating and encouraging their entry into the Big Science market, in addition to their dedicated space in the poster session. • Enhancing the BSOs’ recognition of companies/research centers’ experiences and new Technology Transfer proposals between research and the market. • Strengthening female participation in Big Science. Most of these and other objectives were implemented through the publication of dedicated BSBF calls, prepared and managed by specific representatives of the ILO Network Italia and/or in collaboration with other entities, always under the supervision of the BSBF2024 IOC. Different engagement methods were employed, such as the Big Science job opportunities session, which was managed directly by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region in connection with the EURES Network. Scientific Programme 8.1. Scientific Project