Being the 1st edition of Science Comes To Town (SCTT), UNITES will offer an inspiring and entertaining programme with more than 1,000 activities, bringing together over 70 partners in the cities of Kiel, Brest and Split and their regions by connecting scientific institutions, innovation ecosystems and citizens across Europe. More than 20,000 scientists are available to the partners for the implementation of UNITES. The cities share a similar geographic position as the largest coastal cities of their countries, yet still only medium-sized, peripheral and distant from any large urban agglomerations. They are all vibrant and renowned university cities with excellent town-and-gown relations, enthusiastic about hosting large science outreach events, including national and international science competitions, and experienced in organising large public festivals attracting several millions of visitors. The common profile results in shared local societal challenges and in a distinctly European approach to finding solutions. They have long participated in EU’s biggest flagship initiatives like the EU Missions and the European Researchers’ Nights. However, what truly UNITES the cities is the European University Alliance SEA-EU, where they have built a transnational network of nine universities and their city administrations. Together with the SEA-EU satellite events, UNITES' sphere of activity stretches from the Arctic Ocean to the Mediterranean and will attract over 1.5 Mio visitors and raise awareness of SCTT among more than 25 Mio people. A well-planned marketing strategy will promote SCTT across Europe, supported by the international visibility of EUCYS and EU TalentOn. UNITES will carefully select locally relevant topics and incorporate existing and newly developed interactive formats to make the year engaging for all participants. Along with its train-the-trainer workshops and a participatory approach, this will guarantee the quality and long-term impact of the project.

The LINCS project is the collective effort of 12 partners and the legacy of 14 years of participation in the ERN as a consortium. The ambition is to organize events in 14 different French cities (specifically focusing on medium-sized cities, where research is happening, but science engagement activities are less frequent), sharing the same objectives, theme, activities, approach to popularization, and at the same time involving local researchers. Convinced that the quality of the exchange with researchers is the key factor in enriching and refining the citizens' vision of research, we create intimate, warm, direct encounters between the public and researchers, with a specific focus on the 15-30 age range. To achieve this, the 1,200 researchers involved in the project will be coached and trained by mediators, artists or scenographers, using different methods. A long-lasting effect on researchers will be one outcome, as ERN is an occasion for them to start a long journey in science engagement. The planned activities enable privileged encounters and/or shared, fun experiences in direct contact with professional researchers. The “EU corner” will be enlivened by the participation of EU researchers, games and live radio broadcasts. The French Ministry of Culture will financially support the event for the 3rd year, fostering the participation of researchers in social sciences and humanities; the Ministry of Research will also continue its support. One partner is in charge of strategies for reducing the environmental impact of the events. The LINCS project is based on an original tagline, a theme to intrigue visitors and stimulate the creativity of researchers and mediators. A theme which testifies to our ambition to set up almost intimate meetings between researchers and visitors. Meetings which promise to unveil the untold stories of an exciting profession. A slogan that evokes both secrets and curiosity: "Little Nocturnal Secrets" (“petits secrets nocturnes”). But shh…!