The Kato Science Corner has been opened in Katowice. It is an information point and a space for joint meetings, events, research, and other activities carried out as part of the European City of Science Katowice 2024 (EMN).

The capital of Upper Silesia is the first ever city from Central and Eastern Europe to receive this title. The distinction is linked, among other things, to the organisation of the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF), an event dedicated to scientific research and innovation. ESOF Katowice 2024 will be one of the most prestigious science and technology events in the world.

Kato Science Corner also serves as the headquarters of Metrolab, a place for creative approaches to the city. At Metrolab, anyone can share their idea for the city, design changes or new services, try to implement and test them. The space itself is intended to be a place for inspiring meetings, discussions and creative brainstorming. The project involves all the universities that are part of the Academic Consortium – Katowice City of Science. The University of Economics in Katowice is responsible for coordinating the activities.

The idea of EMN is to deepen the changes accompanying the transformation of society in these cities and regions towards a science society, to show the richness and diversity of the European scientific landscape and to support self-education, scientific integration, interest in science among younger generations and the development of European research without borders, to strengthen the European and international profile of the scientific community in the city and the region, to increase the involvement of citizens and the scientific community in local problems, to trigger public investment in regional science and its infrastructure, and to boost tourism.

European Science Cities have already included Stockholm, Munich, Barcelona, Turin, Dublin, Copenhagen, Manchester, Toulouse and Trieste.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński