Who we are

Fondazione IDIS-Città della Scienza

Fondazione IDIS – Città della Scienza is a unique scientific complex based on the sea in Bagnoli, at the foot of Posillipo hill in Naples.

With the Science Centre, Italy’s first interactive museum, a place for experimentation, meeting and dialogue between science and technology, with the Congress Center offering about 2,000 seats in various combinations, around the magnificent and technological Newton Hall with about 1,000 seats, and with its certified Incubator hosting about 50 start-ups, together with permanent exhibitions and much more, this Città della Scienza registers about 200,000 visitors annually.

In addition, with the Ministry of University and Research and the Campania Region, the Foundation is the organizing entity of the Italian Sino Week.

For 15 years, in fact,Italy and the People’s Republic of China have been promoting this initiative, which takes place alternately, in Italy and China, with delegations from the two countries promoting comparisons between academies, businesses, centers of expertise and more on established themes.

Finally,“3 Days for School,” the initiative, now in its XXV edition, that involves teachers, educators and experts from all over Italy in an intense debate on educational innovation, and Futuro Remoto, a true science festival that, first in Italy, has reached its 40th edition this year.

We are this and much more.

President
Giovanni Covone

Vice President
Antigone Marino

The vision

Fondazione Idis-Città della Scienza works to build a knowledge-based economy capable of creating real, quality jobs and greater social cohesion. This project is developed through the enhancement of local resources and attention to the European and Euro-Mediterranean context. In fact, the Foundation supports its territorial stakeholders (networks of schools, agencies, businesses, local authorities and associations) that become its cooperators and operational arms and contribute to experiment new cultural products and multiply their effects with actions in the territory. In addition, the Foundation is aware that its objectives are played out, today, in the European and Euro-Mediterranean context, both because of the objective conditions of contemporary scientific and technological research; the characteristics of the European integration process; and the strategic position ofNaples and the Mezzogiorno, on the borders between the North and the South of the world.

Values

Science for society: affirming a new scientific citizenship, bridging the gap between society and the scientific world, so that the latter comes out of the confines of laboratories and enters into an open dialogue with citizens.

Science for the new generation: rich and engaging science communication stimulates young people’s interest, creativity and potential, and makes them aware of the topicality of scientific issues by bringing them closer to the work of scientists and researchers.

Science for economic development: scientific disciplines increasingly contribute to the improvement of the quality of life and the establishment of a “knowledge economy”; widespread access to knowledge-thanks to new communication technologies-is an essential factor for economic growth.

Accessibility and sustainability: the search for a “virtuous” balance between the social and cultural progress of the community of reference, and a real financial and economic sustainability of initiatives (social manageriality), is an indispensable and innovative principle of the Idis Foundation-Città della Scienza contributes to envisioning a restructuring of the economy in a compatible sustainability key, both socially and ecologically.

Work culture: work is the first factor that confers dignity and social identity: skills, competence and professionalism are the levers to achieve one’s goals and contribute to collective well-being.

The ability to innovate and to propose innovation: innovation as a search for the best and most efficient solutions, but also innovation as a new “space of potential and resources,” as well as the right to participate in the benefits of a more open, more integrated and more inclusive society.

The effective enhancement and promotion of culture: it is the heritage of common and shared values that is a guiding principle of the strategy and operation of the Idis Foundation-Città della Scienza, as well as the main object of its operational activities.

Knowing how to do and letting people know: there is a close link between the skills exercised, the projects implemented and the communication activities, which are the strategic element necessary for the interactive involvement of the Foundation’s audiences.