OBSERVA ASSOCIAZIONE

Their core work

Observa is an Italian research centre specializing in the study of public attitudes toward science and technology, and the design of science engagement activities. They are a core partner in Italy's European Researchers' Night (SHARPER network), organizing public events that bring researchers into city squares through performances, games, and interactive formats. Beyond public engagement, they conduct rigorous social science research on how citizens perceive controversial scientific topics — from vaccines and GMOs to climate change — and how trust in science is shaped by media and digital communication.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2014-2017), Observa focused on festive, street-level public engagement — the keywords are dominated by "night", "fun", "games", "show", "street", "squares", reflecting hands-on Researchers' Night event production. From 2018 onward, their work shifted toward deeper research questions: public trust, disinformation, responsible communication, and alignment with the SDGs and Green Deal. The later SHARPER editions also moved from STEM to STEAM, integrating humanities and arts into science outreach.

Observa is moving from organizing public science events toward researching and designing evidence-based communication strategies that address disinformation and build public trust in science.

How they like to work

Observa operates exclusively as a consortium participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, which is typical for specialized research associations that contribute domain expertise rather than project management. With 37 unique partners across 13 countries over 8 projects, they maintain a broad European network rather than a tight inner circle. Their repeated presence in the SHARPER consortium (5 editions) shows they are a reliable, long-term partner valued for continuity.

Observa has collaborated with 37 distinct partners across 13 European countries, anchored by the Italian SHARPER network of universities and science centres but extending well beyond Italy through pan-European projects like CONCISE and TRESCA.

What sets them apart

Observa sits at a rare intersection: they both study public attitudes toward science (as social researchers) and actively design the engagement formats meant to shape those attitudes (as event practitioners). This dual identity — research plus practice — means they can offer consortium partners not just outreach delivery, but evidence-based insight into what actually works. For any project needing a credible Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) or public engagement work package in Italy, they are an experienced and well-connected choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• CONCISE
  Their largest project by funding (EUR 172,562), studying citizen perceptions of vaccines, GMOs, and climate change through public consultations across Europe.
• TRESCA
  Their second-largest project (EUR 149,078), tackling the timely and high-impact topic of disinformation, trust, and digital science communication.
• SHARPER
  Five consecutive editions (2014-2022) make this their signature activity — few organizations sustain such continuity in the European Researchers' Night programme.