Zaragoza to Host STEAMbrace Project Headquarters, Empowering STEAM Education Across Europe
Zaragoza has been selected as the central hub for the European STEAMbrace project headquarters, an initiative led by Edelvives that aims to transform education through science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The alliance, supported by the European Commission, will allocate €2.9 million to enhance learning for students aged 11 to 18. Inspiring words from Pepa Martínez Pérez During the event, physicist Pepa Martínez Pérez, a CSIC Researcher at the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragón (INMA-CSIC, University of Zaragoza), shared her research experience: «You don’t suddenly start researching light-matter interaction and its potential applications in quantum technologies. To get where I am, I completed a PhD at the University of Zaragoza in 2006 and spent several years researching outside Spain, until in 2017 I secured my position at ARAID. I have also been a CSIC researcher for six years and, since 2021, part of the European Research Council.» Public-private collaboration to drive innovation Carlos Gimeno, Councillor for Economy, Digital Transformation, and Transparency of Zaragoza City Council, emphasized: «The projects we spoke about not long ago are now a reality. This office is already open, and when someone in Europe wants to find a reference for working with the STEAM methodology, they will come to the office we are now launching. This is our commitment to young people: to provide them with the best tools to face their personal and professional futures.» Tomasa Hernández, Councillor for Education, Culture, and Sports of the Government of Aragón, highlighted the importance of public-private collaboration for «boosting educational innovation and technology education.» STEAMbrace: leading the way in STEAM education in Europe Alejandro Cebrián, Managing Director of Edelvives Spain, emphasized the significance of the agreement with Zaragoza City Council: «The agreement between the municipality and our publishing group is a great example of public-private collaboration to strengthen education. At Edelvives, we have been making STEAM education a reality in classrooms for over a decade, and now, through the STEAMbrace project, we will lead STEAM education in Europe from Zaragoza, from Etopia. STEAM skills permeate everything and are not just related to technological or scientific employability. They are about acquiring the competencies every student needs to adapt to the constantly changing world, doing whatever you want in any sector, field, or entrepreneurship. It’s impossible to generate critical thinking and make good decisions if we don’t understand the foundations of the future.» «In English, ‘embrace’ means both to embrace and to enthusiastically accept a challenge. Following this definition, in this consortium, we have adopted some of the core pillars of STEAM education (collaboration, creativity, respect, critical thinking, problem-solving, and diversity), making them our guiding principles,» said Juancho Pons, STEAMbrace coordinator and R&D+i project manager at Edelvives, at the inauguration. STEAMbrace project headquarters at Etopia: a hub of innovation STEAMbrace is a European initiative led by Edelvives, designed to promote STEAM education in the EU through a shared digital framework. The project unites partners from five countries to address the gender gap in science and technology, promoting women’s integration into mixed-gender teams. Key actions include studying the state of STEAM education across various countries, piloting projects in schools, and launching the first «STEAM Week for Future Women Innovators.» Additionally, STEAMbrace will provide training for teachers and students, as well as organize European congresses and competitions. The European Commission selected STEAMbrace from over 20 proposals, granting funding to support its implementation in three phases, ultimately aiming to establish it as a leading educational reference across Europe. The STEAMbrace alliance includes nine partners from six European countries: the Academy of Inventors, AIJU (Toy Industry Research Association), WiTEC (European Association for Women in Science, Engineering & Technology), C4G–C4G (Consulting and Training Network), the Portuguese Marist Brothers Congregation, Contáctica, Raise Your Voice Youth Association, the University of Zagreb, and the University of the Basque Country. The headquarters will be located in Etopia, a state-of-the-art innovation center in Zaragoza, Spain. Spanning over 16,000 m², Etopia fosters entrepreneurship, develops talent, and inspires innovation. The center hosts congresses, workshops, and events focused on digitalization, entrepreneurship, and technology. With sustainable facilities and flexible spaces, Etopia will be the heart of STEAMbrace operations. Through this, Edelvives strengthens its international leadership in educational innovation, further advancing STEAM education.