Raise your voice for science! EU-LIFE at OpenPRBB 2025

Earlier this month, EU-LIFE took part in OpenPRBB 2025 with its first-ever public engagement activity within a major outreach event “Raise your voice for science!”, a giant Snakes & Ladders-style game. 

Visitors were invited to reflect on an essential question: “How can we make science thrive?” To climb the ladders and avoid the snakes, participants had to answer questions about research, science policy and the daily realities of scientists’ work. Along the way, they discovered that moving science forward takes more than discoveries. It requires fair working conditions, gender equality and inclusion, open access to knowledge, ethical conduct, adequate funding, and strong public policies that support research and innovation.

The activity sparked lively conversations with visitors of all ages, who shared their ideas on how everyone, from scientists to policymakers and citizens, can contribute to advancing research for the benefit of society.

“As an alliance that brings together leading life sciences institutes across Europe, EU-LIFE is committed not only to shaping science policy but also to engaging citizens in conversations about how science works,” said Marta Agostinho, Executive Director of EU-LIFE. “Events like OpenPRBB remind us that advancing science is a collective effort — involving researchers, policymakers, funders and the public alike.”

Hosted by the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), OpenPRBB opens its doors every year to over a thousand visitors, offering them a chance to explore laboratories, meet scientists and experience science up close. EU-LIFE’s participation at the event was part of its broader mission to promote a sustainable and responsible research ecosystem and to build stronger connections between science and society.