Find out 20 interesting facts
Find out 20 interesting facts about the Silesian Science Festival Katowice
How well do you know the Silesian Science Festival Katowice? In anticipation of the annual celebration of science, we present interesting facts about the ŚFN to give you even more insight into the uniqueness and diversity of the Festival, which has been a public good in Poland and Europe for years.
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START
The first Silesian Science Festival Katowice took place in 2016, and since then it has continuously brought knowledge from various fields of science closer to a wide audience. The ŚFN was created from the bottom up in the academic community and has been implemented in this way since its inception – it was established by the region’s public universities, which work together to promote science at home and abroad. The festival takes place at the International Congress Centre in Katowice – with the exception of the 5th edition, which, due to constraints related to the COVID-19 pandemic, was held outdoors on the Rawa boulevards in Katowice.
PARTNERSHIP FOR SCIENCE
The leader and originator of ŚFN Katowice is the University of Silesia in Katowice. The event’s host city is the City of Katowice and the co-hosts are the Silesian Voivodeship and the Metropolis GZM. To date, the following universities have cooperated within the framework of the ŚFN: Silesian University of Technology, the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, the University of Economics in Katowice, the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Katowice, the Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, the Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa, the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, the Częstochowa University of Technology, and the University of Bielsko-Biała.
SCOPE
ŚFN Katowice is the largest science festival in Poland. Since 2016, it has been visited by 700,000 visitors and 124,000 online participants, who have had the chance to listen to more than 3,000 speakers. More than 1,300 employees of the University of Silesia in Katowice have participated in the eight editions of the Festival to date, and 400 volunteers have helped with subsequent editions of the event.
MEETING PLACE
The ŚFN is frequented by science, culture, and arts personalities. To date, it has been visited by nearly 400 guests from Poland and abroad, representing the worlds of humanities, technology, medicine, natural sciences, culture and art, as well as sports. Among them were: Nobel Prize winner in Physics Prof. Johannes Georg Bednorz, Sylwia Chutnik, Prof. Andrzej Dragan, Frans Timmermans, Prof. Norman Davies, Yolanda Ohene, David Price, Fran Scott, Seth Shostak, Daniel Tammet, Dawid Mysliwiec, Prof. Kevin Warwick, Marc Elsberg, Anna Dziewit-Meller, Mariusz Szczygieł, Jerzy Bralczyk, Prof. Antoni Dudek, and astronauts: Nicole Stott, General Mirosław Hermaszewski, and Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski.
SUPPORT
The Festival is overseen by a group of 15 distinguished ambassadors, including Agata Kołodziejczyk, Wiktor Niedzicki, Tomasz Rożek, Prof. Katarzyna Kłosińska, Ewelina Zambrzycka-Kościelnicka, Łukasz Lamża, Jarosław Juszkiewicz, Nicole Stott, Piotr Baron, Arkadiusz Gorzawski, Łukasz Wilczyński, Daniel Tammet, David Price, Mikołaj Sokół, and Jan Pomierny.
EUROPEAN CITY OF SCIENCE 2024
The organisation of the Silesian Science Festival Katowice directly contributed to Katowice being awarded the title of European City of Science 2024 – the European Commission singled out the capital of the Silesian Voivodeship as a city with particular potential for scientific development. The most important goal of ECSK 2024 was to promote the transformation of the region through education, provide its inhabitants with unlimited access to knowledge, and turn it into a fundamental instrument of civil dialogue. This prestigious award also aimed to showcase the richness and diversity of the European scientific landscape, as well as to foster self-education, scientific integration and the development of European research, and to stimulate interest in science among younger generations. Thanks to the ECSK initiative, EU funds have been obtained for the promotion of science and academic traditions.
GREEN SCIENCE ZONE
One of the ECSK 2024 projects supported by the Silesian Science Festival Katowice is the Green Science Zone (ZSN). It is a modern and versatile initiative that was launched during the 5th ŚFN (Rawa Edition) to create a green space next to the Rawa River on the campus of the University of Silesia in Katowice. The Green Science Zone (ZSN) is a modern and comprehensive initiative aimed at creating a space that combines science, recreation, ecology, and innovation – with the residents of Katowice and the entire academic community in mind.
FREE ACCESS
Since its inception, the ŚFN has been a free event (except for special events such as the KATOPOLIS show), offering almost unlimited access to a variety of activities. In addition, the festival makes it possible to explore scientific issues at home – for those unable to attend in person, selected programme points are broadcast online. They can be followed on the YouTube channel of the Silesian Science Festival Katowice and later viewed at any time in ‘Mózgoteka’ on the Festival website.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
ŚFN Katowice has an international dimension – it is constantly establishing lasting and fruitful cooperation with Polish and foreign universities, internationally renowned research centres, and cultural institutions. In its nine years of operation, the Festival has been part of numerous overseas scientific events, such as: Cheltenham Science Festival (Great Britain) Edinburgh Science Festival and Midlothian Science Festival (Scotland); Northern Ireland Science Festival (Northern Ireland); Vetenskapsfestivalen (Sweden); Trieste Next (Italy), and the World Science Festival (USA). ŚFN acts as the leader of the Forum of Polish Science Festival Organisers and the International Network of Science Communicators POP Science. It is also a member of EUSEA (European Science Engagement Association) and Ecsite (European Network of Science Centres and Museums) – thanks to its membership, together with 320 other scientific and cultural entities, it can develop science dissemination activities internationally. In addition, the University of Silesia (the leader and originator of ŚFN) hosts FameLab Poland, and the winners of the foreign editions and the people behind the organisation of the initiative are featured at ŚFN Katowice.
REGIONAL AND NATIONAL GEM
The Silesian Science Festival Katowice took part in two EXPO World Expositions – in Dubai (2022) and Osaka (2025) – during which it acted as the ambassador of the Silesian Voivodeship and promoted science as part of the Polish Pavilion. As part of the exhibition in Dubai, a Silesian Regional Week was held, during which representatives of the ŚFN and the University of Silesia conducted inspiring workshops and construction activities for young participants, and members of the Song and Dance Ensemble ‘Śląsk’ showed the audience the traditions and values of our region. At the Osaka exhibition, on the other hand, a team of researchers from theFaculty of Arts and Educational Science of the University of Silesia talked about the cutting-edge Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters course ‘DigiCrea’, as well as the offer of artistic degree programmes using innovative technologies. The project entitled ‘Chopinteractive’ was also a great success. It was accompanied by a concert of the composer’s most famous works and computer graphics performed live by University of Silesia artists.
AWARDS
The Festival’s activities have been recognised on several occasions by national committees and competitions. ŚFN has received many prestigious awards, such as: ‘Golden Rose’ (EUPRIO, 2019), Populariser of Science – in the team category (PAP Science in Poland 2020), ‘SuperMarka - Śląskie’ (Marka Śląskie, 2022), and ‘Prom’ (Association of PR and Promotion of Polish Universities, 2023).
COMPETITIONS
As part of the Silesian Science Festival Katowice, competitions are held for scientists, science communicators, and budding researchers: Silesian Scientific Award (since the 3rd edition), honouring researchers from the universities that co-organise the ŚFN; OFF Science – Review of Garage Inventions (since the 2nd edition), supporting social inventions and innovations, and the POP Science Award (since the 4th edition), honouring initiatives that promote science. Starting with the 9th edition of the ŚFN, new competitions are also planned – ‘sChOOL Science – European Funds for Young People’, aimed at primary and secondary school students, and the Invent the Future competition.
SILESIAN SCIENCE HALL OF FAME
Starting with the 7th edition, a permanent element of the ŚFN Katowice programme is the Silesian Hall of Fame, an initiative presenting the achievements of the most outstanding researchers in the Silesian scientific arena. Experts from the universities co-organising the festival share their experience, scientific discoveries, and the secrets of their research technique in talks given by professional science communicators. In previous years, the partners of the Silesian Hall of Fame were: Łukasiewicz Research Network, the Metropolis GZM, and Radio Katowice.
UNIQUE PROGRAMME
Successive editions of the ŚFN Katowice provide audiences with many new ways of experiencing science. Over the past eight editions, the festival space has been complemented by 12 special zones, which have explored such topics as: space, climate and electromobility, motorsport, AI, gaming, and post-industrial diseases. In turn, special events took place during the ŚFN inaugurations, which took place, among others, at the Silesian Theatre, the Planetarium – Silesian Science Park in Chorzów, and the Spodek Arena in Katowice, featuring: a performance entitled ‘Radiance: The Passion of Marie Curie’, directed by Alan Alda, Professor Marian Oslislo’s musical and visual project ‘CallTrane M04/HG4’, a science talk show with Seth Shostak, and events opening and closing the ECSK 2024 celebrations (the KATOPOLIS show and the Night of the City of Science Katowice 2024).
EUROPEAN SIGNIFICANCE
Representatives of European Union bodies have been present at the Silesian Science Festival Katowice on more than one occasion. Past guests have included Frans Timmermans – former Vice-President of the European Commission, Marc Lemaître – Director General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Elżbieta Bieńkowska – former EU Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services, Professor Jerzy Buzek – long-standing Member of the European Parliament and former President of the European Parliament, and Łukasz Kohut – Member of the European Parliament.
SCIENCE ON TOUR
ŚFN Katowice runs a number of initiatives to promote science and bring its mysteries to a wide audience throughout the year. One such initiative is ŚFN on Tour – a mobile zone that participates in popular science events in the form of lectures, workshops, meetings with scientists, and, above all, scientific demonstrations carried out by representatives of the universities co-organising the Festival. To date, participants have been able to take part in more than 20 action packed events such as: The Jerzy Pilch Word Festival ‘Granatowe Góry’ (Navy Blue Mountains), the World Urban Forum WUF11, ArtScience Week in Leiden (Netherlands), Katowice City Anniversary, and the European Funds New Energy Picnic.
HOME OF SCIENCE
The ŚFN on Tour also includes an initiative called ‘Home of Science’, in which meetings to promote science take place in institutions providing care and education in the Silesian Voivodeship. The aim of the initiative is to promote science in communities at risk of social exclusion, facilitate access to knowledge, stimulate cognitive curiosity in children and young people, and show the positive impact of science on the future of the world. Encounters with science take place in a creative atmosphere that enables young participants to discover knowledge in various fields through workshops, animation activities, scientific shows, games, and activities on selected topics. The ‘Home of Science’ visited, among others, the ‘Dom Aniołów Stróżów’ Children and Youth Aid Association in Katowice, the Stowarzyszenie Dar Serca (Gift of the Heart Association) in Dąbrowa Górnicza, the Children’s Care and Education Facility No. 12 in Katowice, and the District Care and Education Facility in Gorzyczki.
FRIENDLY IMAGE
ŚFN has its own original identity created by exceptional artists and designers. The identity changes depending on the theme of the edition, being each time an insightful response to a changing world. To date, artists such as Natalia Łukomska, Tomasz Kipka, Marek Głowacki, and Prof. Grzegorz Hańderek have collaborated with ŚFN.
RIVER INTEGRATES
A permanent feature of the design of the ICC during the festival is the blue stripe running through the multifunctional hall symbolising the Rawa river, which in recent years has been rediscovered in public discussion and taken its rightful place in the space of Katowice. The staging of the Rawa also highlights the Green Science Zone's efforts to revitalise the river. In addition, the Rawa was the protagonist of the 5th edition of the Festival (2021), which, due to the then ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, adopted a new format and took place on the river boulevards. The open-air City of Science stretched in a straight line of 1 km over the Rawa river from the Market Square in Katowice to ul. Dudy-Gracza.
FRIENDS OF THE FESTIVAL
Thanks to our partners, we can implement a diverse and attractive programme in an exceptionally attractive setting. During the 8th edition, the Festival was supported by nearly 70 partners, including five sponsors, more than 20 patrons of honour, and more than 20 media patrons. The main regional media patron of the ŚFN is Student Radio Egida, which broadcasts a programme dedicated to it at each successive edition of the Festival.
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