With a degree in documentation (UOC), and a postgraduate degree in new Information and Communication Technologies (UPC), and in communication and corporate image (UOC), Anna Bröll has developed part of her career in the field of public libraries. More specifically, she has specialized in the use of information and communication technologies and in the leadership of citizen participation projects. For a few years now, he has been responsible for the Department of Science and Innovation of the Barcelona City Council and, therefore, is involved in this science dissemination event that now returns linked to the Ciutadella knowledge Hub project.

The Science Festival has grown and is now in its 18th edition and is becoming established in the city. What aspects do you think have improved the most over time?

In terms of activity programming, in recent years there has been an attempt to incorporate new formats such as micro-talks and the science slam, the clue game or the Party Night, with a programming aimed especially at young and adult audiences. This year we are also incorporating a bar area where we can have a drink and enjoy the “Science at the Table” activity program at the same time.In terms of organization, and to focus on two more specific aspects, the experience accumulated over so many years allows us to manage it more effectively both from a production point of view, with the improvement of the tent spaces at a technical and logistical level, and at a communication strategy level, with the inclusion of social networks and the participation of influencers to reach new audiences.

What would you highlight from this year’s edition, both for first-time visitors and repeat visitors?

I would highlight the space dedicated to quantum, which this year we are incorporating as a novelty and within the framework of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, declared by UNESCO this 2025. And for those who are visiting us for the first time, I would tell them to walk through the different spaces and let themselves be seduced by the proposed activities that captivate them the most. Letting yourself be carried away by curiosity and the desire to learn is a good recommendation in order to experience this Festival. On the other hand, and given the location, it is very worth taking a tour of the Born archaeological site to learn about the real stories of the people who lived there more than three hundred years ago.

Quantum is still an area that many people are unfamiliar with. What can we see in the space dedicated to it?

Workshops will be held where basic concepts of quantum physics will be presented through simulations that different participants can play with, and discover the most surprising phenomena of quantum mechanics such as the double slit experiment, the collapse of the wave function or Werner Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. They will also teach things about quantum computers, such as the one installed at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, or delve into the world of quantum cryptography and secure communications.

The event is once again opening up to other spaces such as the Parc de la Ciutadella as part of the Ciutadella Knowledge Hub project. Could you add something about this city plan and the importance it represents for the world of research and for dissemination?

In fact, the Science Festival was held for many years in the Parc de la Ciutadella and then, in an attempt to relocate it and extend it to other spaces in the city, we went to Rambla Prim, Rambla del Raval or Parc de la Barceloneta. Now, with the momentum being given to the Ciutadella Knowledge Hub project, a scientific and urban initiative that involves the City Council, the Generalitat de Catalunya, the State Government, the BIST, the UPF and the CSIC to convert the Ciutadella Park and its surroundings into a leading node of knowledge, dissemination, research and innovation in Europe, it makes more sense than ever to return the Science Festival to the Ciutadella Park, and for this reason activities have been scheduled in the Hivernacle and the Centre Martorell d’Exposicions.

The Festival has the indispensable collaboration of entities, many of them repeat and others join in. How do you assess their participation? Without the collaboration of universities, research centers and scientific entities in general, the Science Festival would not be possible. Just look at the list “Who makes it possible (Qui la fa possible)” on our website and you will find more than 120 entities, institutions and research groups, and more than 300 participants among speakers, workshop leaders, and show hosts. We are very grateful for the commitment of all the entities that make the Science Festival possible. Without their generosity and dedication to the citizens, our project would not be possible.

This Science Festival will once again have a night for the public over 16 years old. What is your assessment of this commitment to the adult public?

It is still too early to make assessments, since we only scheduled the first edition last year. But we are very happy because the public that participated was actually mostly young and adult, and that was the main purpose. Last year there were around 700 people in the audience and we hope that this year there will be even greater participation. The point is that the range of activities is attractive enough to achieve this. That is why we have scheduled, among others, “The Enigma Machine: how the Nazis encrypted and the Allies decrypted”, “The Rebel Universe, a journey through the history of quantum” or the end of the party with the group Beyond Colapse, a show starring two cyborg DJs who transcend the limits of creativity with the intervention of artificial intelligence.

Citizen Science projects also play a very important role. This link between citizens and the world of research has been bearing fruit for a few years now. Tell us how Barcelona is committed to it, through its own office.

In Barcelona, ​​we have had the Citizen Science Office since 2012. At that time, it was a clear commitment by the City Council to open and participatory science. The Citizen Science in Schools program is a consolidated program, with a solid activity proposal that is very well valued by both the scientific community and the educational community. Last year, we held the program’s closing ceremony for the first time as part of the Science Festival. The meeting was attended by around 200 students and teachers from the educational centers participating in the program, as well as researchers from the research centers. And throughout Saturday, as part of the Festival, different researchers participating in the projects of the Citizen Science Office will share the results of their research in one of the spaces in the Plaça Comercial.

Bringing science closer to people is essential both to arouse curiosity and to convey the conclusions and methods of research. Do you think that enough scientific dissemination is done in this sense in Barcelona?

Barcelona is a city with a clear commitment to scientific dissemination. On the one hand, we have the local cultural centers where we can find a wide range of activities, for example from the network of public libraries with its Visions of Science program, or with the Argumenta program at the Civic Centers; and, on the other, there are the city’s large cultural centers such as the CCCB, which makes a clear commitment to incorporating scientific reflection and debate in its talks and exhibitions, the Natural Sciences Museum or the CosmoCaixa Science Museum, which specialize in scientific topics. It is also worth highlighting the CSIC’s Science in the Neighborhood program, and a new project to disseminate science in the territory that we promote from the Department of Science and Innovation in collaboration with research groups, the CSIC, libraries and civic centers, with the aim of programming activities in areas of the city where scientific programming is little present or almost non-existent.

The Science Festival, along with the Science and City Biennial, are two of the city’s major scientific dissemination events, and priority axes of the Science and Innovation strategic plan. What are the main challenges of this plan?

There are many challenges, but I would highlight three. On the one hand, support the development of the city’s research and knowledge network to strengthen this sector and make it an asset to the city’s economy with the aim of contributing to a more prosperous and resilient Barcelona in the face of the global challenges we face.

On the other, help establish a transfer system towards the city’s business and innovation sector. We are international benchmarks in research and the fifth European city in scientific production, but there is a long way to go and also room for improvement in designing programs to transfer this knowledge that should help our business sector to be much more competitive and innovative.

And, finally, we want Barcelona’s scientific capital status to be recognized in the state and also in Europe.