The twenty-eight partners of the SYNENERGENE project gathered in Karlsruhe on 24-25 September for the Kick-Off Meeting! A marathon general assembly of twelve hours enabled to set the foundations for the four platforms and two core dimensions of this ambitious Mobilisation and Mutual Learning Action Plan, fostering Responsible Research and Innovation in the area of Synthetic Biology.

After 300 hours of consultation in science centres and museums across 27 EU countries, the groundbreaking VOICES project is preparing to release its final reports. Six science centres are hosting events across Europe to give people a look at the outcomes of this European project in a local and national context.

In Spain, VOICES focus groups highlighted what needs to change for a zero waste society, in terms of citizenship, policy, and research and innovation. The VOICES public event in Granada builds on these outcomes, with a Maker Faire, debates, workshops, pavilions and a range of exhibitions, bringing together the public, schools, research centres, politicians, universities, artists and craftsman to see how we can truly make the most of urban waste as innovation.

CCSTI Grenoble will organize a VOICES public event as part of the European Week for Waste Reduction. The VOICES consultation showed French citizens are particularly concerned about product lifespan. To look more closely at this issue, a week of repair and reuse activities will be held in different local associations: concrete workshops or demonstrations about how to repair, reuse collect and sell waste objects. Open door events and workshops will give concrete examples of how Grenoble can deal with its urban waste, innovating in order to make waste a resource.