By Natalia Rosso
In a world increasingly shaped by science and technology, few events manage to bridge the gap between high-level research and everyday life like Trieste Next – Festival of Scientific Research. Set against the majestic backdrop of Piazza Unità d’Italia, Europe’s largest seaside square, the 2025 edition of Trieste Next returns from September 26 to 28 with the evocative theme:
“Life Within: Dialogues Between Science and Technology.”
Now in its 14th edition, this international festival reaffirms Trieste’s role as Italy’s City of Science — a hub of innovation, dialogue, and discovery.
Where Science Meets Society
Trieste Next is more than a traditional science festival. It is a three-day celebration of curiosity, where over 300 speakers, including Nobel laureates, leading researchers, entrepreneurs, and communicators, gather to discuss the scientific challenges of our time.
This year’s focus — the interface between life sciences and technological innovation — comes alive through 100+ public events including keynotes, debates, hands-on workshops, and exhibitions. Topics span from artificial intelligence to biomedical research, from sustainable energy to the ethical frontiers of biotechnology.
In this context, one of the key highlights will be the participation of the Horizon Europe PRAESIIDIUM Project (GA 101095672) with a dedicated roundtable titled “Diabetes Prevention: Merging Clinics and Computation.” This session will delve into the growing potential of data-driven prevention strategies for chronic diseases—particularly type 2 diabetes, which currently affects 1 in 11 adults in Europe and ranks as the third leading cause of death. Based on the principle that “prevention is better than cure,” the roundtable will showcase how the PRAESIIDIUM project integrates smart technologies, explainable AI, and clinical research to support early intervention. Attendees will explore how advanced computational models—combining artificial intelligence with physics-based equations—can significantly improve the prediction and prevention of prediabetes. The discussion will feature experts from across the consortium, offering a multidisciplinary perspective on how personalized medicine and digital innovation can be leveraged to reshape chronic disease management on a European scale.
Piazza Unità: The Open-Air Laboratory
What makes Trieste Next truly special is its openness. During the festival, Piazza Unità transforms into a living laboratory, hosting more than 150 interactive exhibits and labs for all ages.
Children can actively participate in biology lab activities, families can try wearable biosensors, and visitors of all backgrounds can engage with researchers from Italy’s top institutions. Schools from across Friuli Venezia Giulia flock to the city for educational experiences rarely offered in classrooms.
This unique model of science citizenship encourages public participation, critical thinking, and curiosity — essential values in an age of misinformation.
A Bridge Across Disciplines
Trieste Next exemplifies the interdisciplinary future of research. Promoted by the Comune di Trieste, University of Trieste, nord/est multimedia, il Nordest. and Il Piccolo, the festival fosters genuine collaboration across the sciences, humanities, and industry.
Looking Ahead
The questions posed at Trieste Next are not abstract. They concern how we live, how we age, how we treat disease, how we train machines — and how we can ensure that science serves humanity.
In an era marked by rapid change and mounting uncertainty, Trieste Next offers something rare: a space to think, to question, and to connect — not only as scientists or citizens, but as humans.
Visit the festival website: https://www.triestenext.it/en/