OREGAUA | European Researchers' Night

Once again, European cities come together to celebrate the EUROPEAN RESEARCHERS’ NIGHT, an event that brings science to the streets.

This year, more than 100 researchers in marine renewables and other disciplines working to fight climate change will be in Barakaldo to celebrate a very special evening filled with experiments, games, and many more surprises for audiences of all ages.

In addition, this year those who earn a diploma by completing a set number of activities will help their school and class compete for a prize.

Programme

WORKSHOPS & EXPERIMENTS

Experimental classroom: 30 hands-on science corners
Wave energy capture, generating sea waves in a bottle, how corrosion works, connecting cables underwater, conductivity of saltwater, discovering the properties of water, calculating your carbon footprint, how water whirlpools are created, and much more.

Wind turbine assembly workshop
You will be able to build a scale wind turbine and see how it works. Learn how to adjust the blade angles depending on the wind, and test different platform types used for offshore installations in a water tank.

EXHIBITIONS

• Models of Marine Renewable Energy solutions
• Women in ORE: Meet our scientists. Many of them will be there in person – will you be able to spot them?
• Exhibition panels on Basque solutions: The exhibition will remain open throughout the event. Our team will also run guided visits. Don’t miss our treasure hunt!

DEMONSTRATIONS

Offshore inspection drones
Drones are a valuable tool for inspection and supervision, helping maintain offshore structures. Live flight and inspection demos will be carried out.

Underwater robots
Did you know that underwater robots are essential for inspecting hidden structures beneath the sea? They help us check device integrity, plan maintenance, and even observe the marine life that finds shelter around energy devices. Come along to see the robots we use in submarine inspections – and even try your hand at operating robots built by secondary school students in our workshops.

EUROPEAN SCIENCE GOOSE GAME

STEMTOKIA – HYDROGYRIOS

The Hydrogyrios team, formed by 16–17-year-old students, will showcase their robot SARAMS (Automatic System for Underwater Sample Collection and Analysis), designed to efficiently collect and analyse underwater samples. With SARAMS, they competed in the Asia Pacific Open Championships, an international tournament held in Sydney, Australia.

LEARNING ABOUT WIND ENERGY THROUGH VIDEO GAMES

Gaming zone – Planet Rescuers video game
Planet Rescuers is designed to spark young people’s interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) through the popular Minecraft universe. Players will discover the challenging but exciting path towards a sustainable society. Recommended for ages 8–14.

CHILDREN’S AREA

A space to play, imagine, and learn.

The Oregaua children’s area will be run by researchers from the Faculty of Education at the University of the Basque Country (EHU/UPV), who have prepared a fun and educational programme especially for the youngest visitors.

Through creative and participatory activities, children will explore the fascinating world of the sea and marine renewable energy. Activities include:

• Drawing and painting workshops
  A chance to unleash creativity by decorating marine turbines, giant waves, or deep-sea creatures related to sustainable energy.
• Themed storytelling
  Tales that introduce children, in a fun way, to the power of waves, wind, and tides.
• Educational games
  Group dynamics to explore how marine energy works and why protecting the sea is so important. A perfect opportunity to learn while having fun, raising awareness of sustainability and environmental care from an early age.