PICO New Horizons

Building on the success of PICO, PICO – New Horizons scales up a proven model that connects frontier physics with society, turning the European Researchers’ Night (ERN) and Researchers at Schools (R@S) into a year-round engagement framework. The consortium expands from four to 10+ countries with strong participation from the Balkans, broadening access for schools and citizens and strengthening European research integration. Rooted in cutting-edge physics, the project widens its scope to themes that matter for daily life, such as climate change, natural hazards, the green transition, green buildings, and nature-based solutions, showing how fundamental research underpins sustainable technologies. A new Communication & Engagement Academy for Researchers builds capacity in inclusive science communication, storytelling, and dialogue, while innovative assessment tools track participation, learning outcomes, and societal impact. PICO – New Horizons will markedly increase its digital footprint through interactive online formats and virtual visits to major research infrastructures (e.g., CERN, VIRGO/EGO, KATRIN), enabling equitable participation regardless of location. Educationally, it deepens R@S with teacher training and new practices such as activities embedded in Balkan Olympiads and science camps, creating durable school–research partnerships. The awareness campaign is expected to reach more than 400,000 citizens; we plan to engage 50,000 citizens in ERN activities, involve 10,000 students in R@S, and train more than 200 researchers through the Academy. Through these innovations, PICO – New Horizons advances the ERN mission from “bringing research closer to citizens” to “bringing citizens into research,” empowering people of all ages to experience science as a collaborative, creative, and human endeavor.