ESOF conference was opened by Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Carlos Moedas alongside Minister of State for Universities and Science Jo Johnson. The Commissioner highlighted the importance of open science, open publishing and open access to data which is transforming the way of doing science globally, creating a new Global Research Area as well as the importance for Europe to take leadership in this transformation ("Europe's Voyage Towards An Open Global Research Area": video of Commissioner Moedas speech).
FET scientific session
After a short introduction to FET, the scientific session featured 4 visionary FET scientists – Professor Paul Lukowicz, Professor Jonathan Coleman, Dr. Giulio Rufini, Dr. James Sharpe - who illustrated how FET research was instrumental for them to deliver scientific advances and to achieve technology breakthroughs that can change our life, economy and society. Their TED style talks touch upon topics as diverse as artificial intelligence, big data and spread of disease in complex social settings, participatory methods, high potential new materials such as graphene, brain stimulation and brain-to-brain communication, consciousness, swarm intelligence, morphogenesis, revealing the richness and high risk nature of FET research as well as its potential to revolutionise our future and change many aspects of our life.
FET policy session
In the next policy session, a panel of renowned scientists and technologists (Professors Jerzy Langer, Maria Chiara Carrozza, Clivia Sotomayor, Tommaso Calarco and Dr Chen Sagiv) debated on how to best create in Europe a fertile ground for multi-disciplinary research collaborations on future visionary technologies and on how to kick-start new European research and innovation eco-systems around them. Read more feedback about this session.
Both sessions were well attended and were also well covered in social media. Attendees were excited about the breath and the adventurous spirit of the research presented in the scientific session which created the right starting point for the panel discussion that followed. Together the two sessions showed the high expectation from FET and the challenge of scaling up to a mission that covers all technological areas. The image of FET and the arguments put forward will undoubtedly also be key elements in the discussion about the role of FET in the next framework programme.
FET research was also featuring in other sessions
- Professor Gustavo Deco, from the HBP flagship was participating to the session 'Can we simulate the human brain?' .
- With the conference taking place at the 'home' of graphene, the city of Manchester, ample attention also went to the Graphene Flagship. A special session on graphene featured keynotes from Nobel Prize winner Prof. Kostya Novoselov and Prof. Frank Koppens, followed by a panel discussion focussed on future applications, challenges for industry and standards. Graphene Flagship at ESOF
- There was also a session on Quantum Simulation organised by Professor Immanuel Bloch from the FET RySQ project, in which various FET PIs were featured.