The main aim of the Estonian Researchers’ Nights 2016-2017 (RNEst16-17) is to highlight the most recent and important accomplishments of Estonian researchers and scientists. The Researchers’ Night also aims to encourage young people to choose careers in research, engineering and STEM-related areas, and to introduce these professions through numerous entertaining hands-on activities. The topic of RNEst16 is pointing out the links between scientific discoveries and the creation of plausible fictional scenarios. Events of RNEst16 involve talking about science as a creative process, the limits of science, interplay of literature and film. Wide range of subtopics, include time travel, wormholes, teleportation, extra-terrestrial intelligence, artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, genetic engineering, developing nanotechnologies, consciousness and mind manipulation etc. The theme of RNEst17 is ethics and responsibility in science and research. The focus is on elaborating on the topic of responsibility in research and ethical aspects of the present and future innovations. Events of RNEst17 involve talking about collaboration between society and researchers, citizen science, crowdsourcing, stereotypes in research field, how research and innovation take place within our society, how everybody should have a voice in science issues, ethical and socially acceptable innovation etc. To stress the importance of collaboration in the pan-European Researchers’ Night, joint events are going to take place in cooperation with other Researchers’ Night organisers from across Europe. Special events in English and Russian are also being held, most notably science cafes, workshops and science shows.

Powerful tools provided by ICT software and hardware have revolutionised and, many would claim, democratised publishing, broadcasting and communications. Now, the same is happening to manufacturing as tangible objects are created and designed as virtual ‘bits’ which can be shared globally, but then reproduced as things which manifest themselves locally. This is the maker movement. MAKE-IT will study maker communities, both through ten different case studies and innovation action research, to enhance their use of Collective Awareness Platforms (CAPs). CAPs support maker communities and networks to innovate, design and make physical products based on peer collaboration and sharing. MAKE-IT, in which key maker platforms, technology firms and citizen communities participate, will focus on three perspectives: organisation and governance of the communities, their peer and collaborative activities and behaviour, and their economic and societal value and impact. Together, the findings will inform recommendations for the maker movement itself, and its implementation through CAPs, and be made assessable to many other CAPs uses, in areas like health, education and transport. MAKE-IT will also offer strategic advice for industry and give recommendations for national-level and European policy makers. A better understanding of how CAPs are central to the maker movement will enable more sustainable production and consumption patterns by generating awareness and by leveraging peer pressure for better lifestyles through behavioural and system change. It will also contribute directly to constructing a more circular economy by stimulating resource efficiency, re-using materials and energy, and re-designing production processes to move towards zero waste. CAPs-supported maker communities can create new types of jobs and new ways of working, both bottom-up and linking to smart industry, which are widely distributed across society both geographically and amongst the population.

The main aim of the Estonian Researchers’ Nights 2014-2015 (RNEst14-15) is the highlighting of the accomplishments of Estonian researchers and scientists with special focus on their achievements in the field of medicine and other areas influencing the well-being and health of the citizens of Estonia and Europe. The focus of the events of RNEst14-15 will be on different themes of the healthcare spectrum- in 2014, the Estonian Researchers’ Night will be dealing with the concepts of illness prevention (including sports, healthy lifestyles and the diagnostics of potential illnesses), while in 2015 the focus will shift to the issues of treatment, care and the future of medicine in the country. During the events of RNEst14-15, the science and scientists behind the technologies, methods and schools of thought inluencing the health of the Estonian (and European) population will be explored and, to stress the importance of collaborative experiences of the pan-European Researchers’ Night and to broaden the horizon of the topics dealt with, joint events will take place in cooperation with other Researchers’ Night organizers from across Europe (to a greater extent with the organizers from Finland but also with organizers from Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom) and a special programme will be offered in 2015 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the European Researchers’ Night.