FORMICABLU SRL

Their core work

Formicablu is a Bologna-based science communication and public engagement agency that designs and delivers outreach, dissemination, and co-design activities for European research projects. They specialize in translating complex scientific results into accessible content for diverse audiences — from schools and citizens to industry and policymakers. Their work spans citizen science campaigns, data journalism, interactive events, and open science communication strategies. They serve as the engagement and communication partner across technically diverse consortia in food, energy, environment, and social innovation.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early projects (2015–2018), Formicablu focused on event-based engagement — interactive youth events, edutainment, industrial dialogues, and dissemination for technology roadmapping across sectors like precision medicine and synthetic biology. From 2019 onward, their work shifted decisively toward citizen science, open science communication, RRI, and journalism innovation, with stronger emphasis on trust, ethics, and inclusiveness. This evolution tracks a clear trajectory from one-off event delivery toward systemic science-society communication frameworks.

Formicablu is moving toward becoming a specialist in journalism-driven open science communication and citizen engagement design, positioning them for Horizon Europe missions that require meaningful public participation.

How they like to work

Formicablu overwhelmingly operates as a participant rather than a coordinator, having led only 1 of 11 projects (ENJOI). This is typical for a communication SME that embeds within larger research consortia to handle engagement work packages. With 105 unique partners across 20 countries, they maintain a wide and non-repetitive network, suggesting they are a sought-after partner that different consortia independently recruit for their engagement expertise.

Formicablu has collaborated with 105 unique partners across 20 countries, reflecting a broad European network built through diverse thematic projects rather than a single research community. Their partnerships span universities, research institutes, and NGOs across Western and Southern Europe.

What sets them apart

Formicablu occupies a specific niche: they are not researchers and not a generic PR agency, but a science communication SME with deep experience in EU project engagement requirements. Their combination of co-design methodology, data journalism capability, and citizen science expertise makes them particularly valuable for projects that need genuine public participation rather than token dissemination. Their ENJOI coordination — their largest single grant at €347K — confirms they can also lead projects in the science communication space.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ENJOI
  Their only coordinated project and largest grant (€347K), focused on journalism innovation for open science — signals their flagship competence.
• NEWSERA
  Citizen science communication project with the richest keyword profile, combining data journalism, RRI, trust, and co-creation — represents their evolved expertise.
• CHROMIC
  Their second-largest grant (€309K) in an industrial hydrometallurgy project, showing they can deliver communication in hard-science technical contexts.