Exploring the nexus between Big Science and Science Diplomacy: Workshop Successfully Held in Prague
The EU Science Diplomacy Alliance, together with PERIIA (Pan-European Research Infrastructure ILO Association), co-organised the workshop “Exploring the Nexus between Big Science and Science Diplomacy: An Open Debate on Existing Initiatives, Key Actors and Potential Synergies”, held in Prague on 9 April 2026.
Hosted at ELI (Extreme Light Infrastructure) headquarter, the workshop was supported by the Central European Initiative, ENEA, Technology Centre Prague, and the University of Zurich/CHEF. It brought together around 40 participants, including Alliance members Paolo Acunzo and Mitchell Young, as well as co-chairs Alessandro Lombardo and Simone Arnaldi.
The diverse and interdisciplinary audience engaged in dynamic discussions on Big Science and science diplomacy, two emerging domains at the intersection of international relations, scientific cooperation, industry, research, and higher education.
Despite several areas of overlap, the workshop highlighted the need to further bridge these two fields, with the aim of avoiding fragmentation while identifying and maximising potential synergies. In this context, the development of a future European Union framework for science diplomacy was emphasised as an essential step.
Moreover, Research Infrastructures (RIs) were identified as natural bridges between Big Science and science diplomacy. They are not only central to the Big Science ecosystem but are also increasingly important actors playing a strategic diplomatic role in complex, multilevel international relations, directly involving many different stakeholders.
