In September 2020, the European science forum in Trieste, Italy, became an early example of an international research gathering held with participants on site as well as online. Health precautions shaped the experience: entry procedures, distancing measures and face coverings were part of the setting, while much of the programme remained accessible remotely.
The meeting brought together researchers, educators, science communicators, policy readers and members of the public around the relationship between science and society. Its hybrid structure allowed sessions to combine speakers in the room with contributors joining from elsewhere, preserving discussion while reducing the need for travel.
A forum adapted to its moment
The European science forum moves between host cities and creates a place for discussion across disciplines and professional roles. In Trieste, the 2020 edition required organisers and participants to rethink the ordinary rhythms of a conference: large informal gatherings gave way to smaller encounters, schedules became more flexible, and technology became a central part of participation.
Attendance was lower than at previous editions, but the programme still created opportunities for exchange. The event included voices from research, higher education, communication and public policy, demonstrating why dialogue across those fields remained important at a time when scientific information was receiving intense public attention.
What being together made possible
For those present, conversation did not always feel familiar. Recognising colleagues behind face coverings and maintaining distance altered the spontaneous interactions that often accompany a conference. Yet participants gradually developed new routines for meeting, listening and following up with one another.
The forum underlined that in-person meetings are not simply about formal sessions. They also create room for unexpected professional encounters, informal questions and connections across areas of expertise. In 2020, those moments had to be approached with particular care, but their value remained visible.
Hybrid exchange as a lasting lesson
The Trieste meeting did not present a single model for future events. Rather, it showed how a programme can be reshaped when conditions demand it: remote access can widen participation, while carefully planned physical attendance can support dialogue that is harder to reproduce online.
Looking back, the event belongs to a period when research communities were finding practical ways to continue shared work. Its central lesson is not that one format should replace another, but that scientific exchange benefits from being designed around access, care and meaningful participation.
