HITRIplus participated, in 2023, in several events for the general public, presenting the contributions of the project and its partners to Hadron therapy research as well as plans for future advancements. They all attracted great attention and had an important impact on boosting awareness of HITRIplus opportunities which was visible in an increase of applications to HITRIplus projects such as the TransNational Access, schools, and workshops.
These events, addressing the society at large, included the ‘Open House at GSI and FAIR’ on Saturday, July 15, 2023 and exhibitions in Thessaloniki, hosted at the HELEXPO exhibition centre: ‘BEYOND’ 24-26 May 2023; ‘FORWARD GREEN’ 8-10 June 2023; and ‘TIF, Thessaloniki International Fair’ 9-17 September 2023. Their respective booths were designed to present the multidisciplinary facets of hadron therapy, highlighting, for each one of them, the aspects that were more relevant to their specific focus topic. The professional firm of Kaprinis Architects contributed to the preparation of the booths, integrating existing and specifically produced new material, in collaboration with the HITRIplus communications team, under the direction of Yiota Foka.
The enthusiastic response of the public is an encouragement for the HITRIplus collaborators to take advantage of the prepared material for setting up similar events in their respective institutes and countries. It also boosts the motivation of the HITRIplus communications team which is eager to assist with adjustments to any particular needs, including translations to other languages.
Indeed, some explicit comments acknowledged and praised the fact that scientists make efforts to communicate to the general public the outcomes of their work with a direct impact on society. Others appreciated being informed on advancements in technologies that are related to healthcare and cancer therapy. Students, in particular, took advantage of satellite-targeted events, such as specialised lectures, and the availability of experts, to explore possibilities for future studies and career paths in emerging fields.
Overall, the teamwork of all members of the HITRIplus communications group made a strong impact which in turn fueled their motivation for further contributions.
