More than 250 school students from Bizkaia turn into young scientists at the BeZientzia 2026 Fair

On October 26 and 27, the Bizkaia BERC research centers Achucarro, BC3, BCAM, BCMaterials, and Instituto Biofisika will transform the Ensanche building in Bilbao into a large laboratory to experiment on neuroscience, climate change, mathematics, materials, biomedicine, and biotechnology in an engaging and accessible way.

Bilbao, October 27, 2026

The five Bizkaia BERC centers (Achucarro, Basque Centre for Neuroscience; BC3, Basque Centre for Climate Change; BCAM, Basque Center for Applied Mathematics; BCMaterials, Basque Centre for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures; and Instituto Biofisika) are coming together on October 26 and 27 to celebrate the third edition of the BEZIENTZIA science fair at the Ensanche building in Bilbao.

More than 250 primary school students from schools across Bizkaia will enjoy workshops, interactive activity stations, and scientific demonstrations. The goal is to give them hands-on experience with the scientific knowledge generated by top-tier research centers in fields such as mathematics, neurosciences, climate change studies, new materials, biomedicine, and biotechnology. "BeZientzia aims to bring today’s major scientific and social challenges closer to young people, showing them the solutions that science provides to improve lives. We want to spark curiosity in boys and girls who will become the next generation of researchers," state the organizers.

What will the scientific stations feature?

Achucarro offers two workshops to explain how life works from the inside out. In "Which came first… the chicken or the egg?", students will discover how brain evolution and development are studied using birds. In "Banana DNA Extraction", they will see how DNA—the molecule carrying genetic inheritance—can be extracted using everyday items.

BC3 brings the climate challenge into daily life through two activities. In "Calculate Your Carbon Footprint", groups will estimate their CO2 emissions using ping pong balls and a tube, comparing their results to the Basque Country average. The goal is to raise awareness about sustainable habits to reduce these emissions. In "The Quest for the Climate Refuge", students will explore the venue equipped with thermometers to measure temperatures across three spaces, reflecting on how to design fairer, more accessible cities prepared for extreme heat.

BCAM presents mathematics as a game of logic and strategy. In the "Four Color Theorem" workshop, students will attempt to color maps using five, four, or three colors, discovering that four are always enough. They will then view computer simulations of European maps and learn how this proof became one of the first to rely on computers back in 1976, prompting discussion on the modern role of computers and artificial intelligence in mathematics. In "Models that Infect Curiosity", students will construct virus models to understand what a scientific model is and how a virus's shape affects its ability to enter a cell.

BCMaterials brings materials science straight to the workbench. In "MOFs: 'Magic' Powders that Clean Water", groups will observe how these advanced materials remove pollutants from water and recover valuable elements like lithium, cobalt, and gold. In "From Liquid to Material: Make Your Own Hydrogel", students will learn about hydrogels, their applications in medicine, biotechnology, and agriculture, and craft their own hydrogel spheres.

Meanwhile, researchers from Instituto Biofisika will introduce the public to a fundamental concept in chemistry and biology: pH. Through a visual, interactive experiment, participants will learn how to identify acidic, basic, or neutral substances using color changes, understanding why pH is essential across daily life—from the food we eat to the inner workings of living organisms.

Third edition of an established initiative

Now in its third year, BeZientzia has become a staple of the region's scientific outreach calendar. The event receives support from the Bilbao City Council and the Basque Government, alongside sponsorship from Rural Kutxa.

With the addition of Instituto Biofisika, BeZientzia 2026 is organized by all centers within the Bizkaia BERC (Basque Excellence Research Centers) network. BERCs are research centers recognized by the Basque Government for their scientific excellence. Their mission is to position Basque research among international benchmarks in strategic fields and serve as a driver of social and economic growth. In addition to the five centers in Bizkaia, the network includes four other facilities in Gipuzkoa (Polymat, BCBL, DIPC, and CFM-MPC).