Public participation in science leads to better research & healthier democracies.

When citizens take part in science:

- Innovations truly work on the ground

- Policies improve

- Trust in science increases

- Participatory culture grows

If this year you pass by Kiel, Brest or Split, check the Science Comes to Town programme offering engaging scientific activities with citizens and municipalities: https://sciencecomestotown.eu/

🚀 Co-creating the future of citizen science in Europe❗

✳️ On March 16, 2026, at FOSS Backstage in Berlin, open-source builders, researchers, and citizen science practitioners came together for a hands-on workshop: “Co-Creating @RIECS_Concept with Open-Source Builders.”

✨ “Join the conversation and let’s build @RIECS_Concept together!”✨

🔗 More information: https://concept.riecs.eu/2026/03/17/co-creating-the-future-of-citizen-science-inside-the-riecs-concept-open-source-workshop/

📢 Designing Impact: Turning Citizen Science into a European Infrastructure Strategy❗

✳️ Citizen science in Europe is growing fast, but scaling impact requires more than successful projects. It requires strategy 🚀

✳️ Within the Horizon Europe – funded @RIECS_Concept project, Deliverable 6.1 sets out a comprehensive Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication Plan that turns vision into action.

🔗 More information can be found here: https://concept.riecs.eu/deliverables/

📢 New publication in Nature Communications Sustainability: “Why Citizen Science is Now Essential for Official Statistics”❗

✨The paper highlights how citizen science can help address critical global data gaps at a time when key survey infrastructures are being terminated.

✨ Citizen science is no longer a “nice-to-have.” It is essential✨

🔗 More information: https://concept.riecs.eu/2026/01/14/new-article-why-citizen-science-is-now-essential-for-official-statistics/

🔗 The full article can be read here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44458-025-00008-4

📢 Citizen Science took centre stage at UNEA-7❗

✳️ The Green Room event “People and Policy, Together: Building Global Citizen Science for a Resilient Planet”.

📌 Citizen Science Global Partnership - with support from CS Zurich - highlighted how Citizen Science can drive more inclusive and evidence-based environmental action.

🔗 More: https://concept.riecs.eu/2025/12/16/people-and-policy-together-citizen-science-takes-the-stage-at-unea-7/

📢 Zentrum für Soziale Innovation - ZSI and OaAD recently hosted “Make a Wish: what would you need for your Citizen Science project?”❗

🧩 The goal: co-designing the future Research Infrastructure for Excellent Citizen Science (@RIECS_Concept).

🔗More information: https://concept.riecs.eu/2025/12/17/towards-a-shared-infrastructure-for-citizen-science-insights-from-the-zurich-make-a-wish-workshop/