Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, met with the Dublin City of Science 2012 ambassadors today as part of their journey to EuroScience Open Forum 2010 in Turin.The commissioner discussed opportunities with the six ambassadors around Dublin City of Science 2012, which will be worth €9 million to the Irish economy.
Commenting at the meeting, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, said, “It is great to see the enthusiasm of the Dublin City of Science 2012 ambassadors, they give a good indication of the high calibre of young Irish people in terms of developing Ireland into a Smart Economy. Dublin City of Science 2012 is a fantastic opportunity to showcase European innovation and illustrate that Ireland is at the heart of Europe in the field of scientific research. 6,000 of the world’s brightest minds will come together in Dublin to present cutting-edge work. This is a good opportunity for young people in Ireland to get a glimpse of what is happening in universities and companies both in their local community and across Europe and the world.”
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, meets Dublin City of Science 2012 Ambassadors
Organised by Discover Science & Engineering in partnership with Failte Ireland, Dublin City council and the Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government, the Science Communications Bus departed from Dublin on Sunday 20th of June and has since made its way from Dublin through Liverpool, Dover and Calais, arriving in Brussels on Tuesday evening.
The ambassadors are promoting Dublin as the 2012 City of Science in each city that they visit and are reporting on their experiences using social media tools such as Twitter, blogging and YouTube via the Dublin City of Science 2012 website www.dublinscience2012.ie.
After Brussels the bus will stop in Amsterdam before arriving in Turin for a five day visit to coincide with the highpoint of the city’s science celebrations taking place from the 2nd – 7th July. The trip was launched last week by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Emer Costello and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Batt O’Keeffe TD at Dublin’s Mansion House.
Dublin City of Science will consist of a year-long programme of science events, with approximately 6,000 international delegates expected at the Euroscience Conference in Dublin in July 2012.
According to Fáilte Ireland’s 2009 research, the value of an average international delegate is nearly three times that of a leisure visitor and therefore this conference which is expected to be worth over €9 million in terms of tourism alone to the national economy, will bring together leading scientists and public policy officials to address global issues including energy, climate change, food and health.
Fáilte Ireland reports that on average each delegate will spend nearly three extra days in Ireland and 28% of them will be accompanied by a partner or friend.
