The sixth edition of the Gago Conference on Science Policy was held in Barcelona, organised by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación
The Barcelona Manifesto for the promotion of responsible global digital observatories was presented
The Gago Awards ceremony recognised political and scientific leaders who have contributed to the advancement of European science and technology
New forms of digital observation and governance in the fields of health, urban planning and the environment were the focus of two days of debate
The 6th edition of the Gago Conference, one of the most prestigious international forums for debate on European science policy, concluded on Tuesday in Barcelona after two intense days of debate on new forms of digital observation and governance, focusing on the importance of strengthening international scientific and technological cooperation to promote social and economic development on a global scale.
Under the title "How can supercomputing and the use of digital twins contribute to shaping our common future in times of growing uncertainty and instability", the event was organised by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center – Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) together with Ciencia Viva, the Portuguese National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture, and was part of the events of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2023.
The Secretary of State for Research, Raquel Yotti, the Catalan Minister for Universities and Research, Joaquim Nadal, the Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Economic Promotion of Barcelona City Council, Jordi Valls, as well as representatives of the BSC and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), participated in the final session, which highlighted the importance of politicians relying on scientific knowledge to develop policies that improve the welfare of citizens.
Barcelona Manifesto
During the first day, held on Monday at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) and attended by leading representatives of the academic, business, social, cultural and governmental sectors from around the world, the Barcelona Manifesto for the promotion of responsible global digital observatories was presented.
In a context of digitalisation of our societies and increasing use of artificial intelligence, the manifesto, which was presented by Manuel Heitor, director of the Centre for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research at the University of Lisbon and former Portuguese Minister of Science and Technology, advocates a balance between innovation and social responsibility and establishes seven priorities to ensure ethical solutions and minimise inequalities.
Gago Awards
Monday closed with the presentation of the 'Gago Awards on European Science Policy', an award in honour of the Portuguese scientist and politician José Mariano Gago, a key figure in European scientific commitment, after whom the conference is named. The Gago Awards recognise inspirational leaders who have contributed to the advancement of European science and technology, thereby enhancing our collective future and our shared prosperity.
The award winners were BSC Director. Mateo Valero; the former Minister of Science and Innovation, Cristina Garmendia; the former Secretary of State for Research, Carmen Vela; the former Minister of Economy and Minister of Universities of the Catalan Government, Andreu Mas-Colell; the former Director of the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona, Anna Omedes; and the Director of the Finnish research centre Heureka, Per-Edvin Persson.
Keynote speeches
The inspiring talk by Manuela Veloso, director of JP Morgan's artificial intelligence research division and professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh (USA), internationally renowned for her expertise in AI, machine learning and robotics, was a highlight. In her lecture, which focused on diverse examples of funding for AI projects, Veloso urged researchers to identify the societal problems that need to be solved and to do whatever it takes to get the funding needed to solve them.
Equally interesting was the intervention of Virginia Dignum, Professor of Social Artificial Intelligence and Ethics at the University of Umea (Sweden). Dignum stressed the need to conceive of AI models not as individual but as social, and called on scientists to take responsibility so that these systems, on which we rely to make socially relevant decisions, do not reproduce our usual biases and stereotypes.
Other keynote speakers included Nicolaus Hanowski, head of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mission and Ground Segment Management Department; Paulo Ferrão, director of the Centre for Research in Innovation, Technology and Policy (IN+) at the University of Lisbon; and Johanna McEntyre, associate director of the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI).