FONDAZIONE MUSEO NAZIONALE DELLA SCIENZA E DELLA TECNOLOGIA LEONARDO DA VINCI

Their core work

Italy's largest science and technology museum, based in Milan, that serves as a bridge between scientific research and the general public. They specialize in science communication, public engagement with emerging technologies, and hands-on education programs — particularly around responsible research and innovation (RRI). In H2020, they contribute expertise in designing public awareness campaigns, multi-actor engagement frameworks, and tools that help research projects communicate complex science to non-expert audiences.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2014–2016) centered on raising public awareness of specific technologies like nanotechnology (SeeingNano) and promoting gender balance in STEM (Hypatia). From 2017 onward, they shifted toward more structured engagement frameworks — building platforms, toolkits, and handbooks for multi-actor engagement around key enabling technologies and food policy (FIT4FOOD2030, SocKETs). The trajectory shows a move from one-way awareness campaigns to designing reusable, participatory engagement infrastructure.

Moving from awareness-raising toward building structured engagement methodologies and toolkits — positioning themselves as a go-to partner for any project needing genuine public or multi-actor engagement with complex technologies.

How they like to work

They almost never lead projects — zero coordinator roles across all six participations, with four of six as a third party. This strongly suggests they are brought in for a specific function (public engagement, communication, museum-based activities) rather than driving the research agenda. With 91 unique partners across 24 countries, they connect to a wide variety of consortia, indicating they are a trusted specialist that different project teams recruit when they need credible public-facing engagement.

Connected to 91 unique partners across 24 countries — a remarkably wide network for an organization with only 6 projects, reflecting their role as a specialist recruited into diverse consortia rather than building a fixed partner circle.

What sets them apart

As Italy's national science museum, they bring something most research partners cannot: direct access to the public through a trusted cultural institution with physical exhibition spaces and educational programs. This makes them uniquely valuable for any EU project that needs genuine public engagement rather than token dissemination. Consortium builders should consider them when a project requires credible, large-scale communication of complex science to non-expert audiences.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SySTEM 2020
  Their largest funded role (EUR 175,688) and a full participant — focused on connecting out-of-classroom science learning across Europe, directly aligned with the museum's core mission.
• SocKETs
  Most recent project (2020–2023) producing concrete RRI tools and handbooks for public engagement with key enabling technologies — represents their evolved, methodology-building direction.
• FIT4FOOD2030
  Shows their ability to cross into food policy engagement, building multi-stakeholder dialogue platforms — an unusual and valuable capability for a science museum.