LABORATORIO DELL'IMMAGINARIO SCIENTIFICO SC

Their core work

Laboratorio dell'Immaginario Scientifico (LIS) is an interactive science museum and outreach center based in Trieste, Italy, specializing in public engagement with science through hands-on exhibits, tinkering activities, and live events. Their core H2020 involvement centers on organizing European Researchers' Night (ERN) events across Italian cities, bringing researchers face-to-face with the public through performances, entertainment, and educational activities. They translate complex scientific topics into accessible, engaging experiences designed to spark curiosity in diverse audiences, from children to adults.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

LIS began its H2020 participation with a traditional STEM-focused public engagement model, emphasizing science education and researcher responsibility toward society (SHARPER 2018). By 2020-2022, their focus broadened significantly to STEAM — integrating arts and humanities into science communication — and began addressing sustainability topics like the SDGs and European Green Deal. This shift mirrors the broader European science communication trend away from pure STEM outreach toward interdisciplinary, purpose-driven public engagement.

LIS is moving toward embedding sustainability narratives and arts-science crossover into its public engagement work, making them a natural fit for projects needing green deal or SDG communication to non-specialist audiences.

How they like to work

LIS operates exclusively as a participant, never as a coordinator, joining the same Italian SHARPER consortium across all three project editions. With only 12 unique partners concentrated in a single country, they function as a loyal, returning member of a stable national network rather than a hub connecting diverse international actors. This suggests a reliable, low-friction partner for Italy-based public engagement activities, but not an organization that brings international networks to the table.

LIS works within a tight Italian consortium of 12 partners, all collaborating within Italy on the SHARPER Researchers' Night initiative. Their network is nationally focused with no recorded cross-border partnerships in H2020.

What sets them apart

LIS brings the perspective of a hands-on science museum — not a university or research institute — to public engagement projects. Their strength is translating research into interactive, entertaining experiences using exhibit design, tinkering workshops, and live performances, which is a distinct skill set from typical academic dissemination partners. For consortia needing genuine public-facing science communication in Italy (particularly in the Trieste/Friuli Venezia Giulia region), they offer proven event delivery capacity.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SHARPER (2018-2019)
  Their first ERN participation and highest single funding (€40,800), establishing LIS as a recurring SHARPER partner.
• SHARPER (2021-2022)
  Most thematically evolved edition, incorporating online formats, Green Deal topics, and SDG framing alongside traditional in-person engagement.