With over 18,000 visitors, the format of the Focus Festival of Knowledge, held for the sixth consecutive year in collaboration with the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology in Milan, is confirmed to be a winner. For three days, this major event attracted an active and interested public audience, who had the opportunity to engage with the scientific world and experience the most innovative technological advances, meet and listen to communicators, experts and professionals in information, medicine, science and sports, as well as immerse themselves in worlds of virtual reality.

“We have once again travelled from the stars to the deep sea, from space missions to genetics, from plants to robots, from animal noises to artificial intelligence, giving this edition of Focus Live — entitled Visions — a fun overview of science and knowledge, research and history.  And we got to experience it hands-on by offering immersive virtual reality experiences, samples of the metaverse, and workshops for adults and children. We also mixed genres by combining science, music and theatre. But the most spectacular “vision” was the record turnout and participation of thousands of curious, attentive and enthusiastic people. They are the best reward for our efforts and encourage us to always do better,” said Raffaele Leone, director of Focus.

The more than 70 sold-out events featured eighty personalities, including scientists, researchers, astronauts and communicators, along with active participation in games, workshops, edutainment, interactive experiences and meetings in the Experience Area. There was clear awe and interest in the more than 40 installations, starting with the giant and colourful animals of Cracking Art. Lots of children flocked to the kids area for the Geronimo Stilton show and all the playful and scientific activities organised by Focus Junior, Focus Pico and Focus Wild, in collaboration with Mondadori Education, Way Experience, Shake and UniversiKid.

Providing an exceptional backdrop, the National Museum of Science and Technology was divided for this special initiative into five major thematic areas (Technology, Sustainability, Science, Space, Medicine and Health) with three separate stages — the Main Stage, Speakers’ corner and Creators’ corner — for talks and meetings.

Tons of content contributed to the success of Focus Live Visions: from the surprises of the Animaloids — robotic quadrupeds such as HyQ Real1, capable of challenging humans (and win!) at Twister — to quizzes animated by Stefano Bartezzaghi; from the physics experiments of Vincenzo Schettini, the star professor of TikTok, to the lunar earthworms of the future, to the sustainable comics of activist Altares; from the Telegatto delivered to Carlo Conti to the experiences of sportsmen such as freediving champion Mike Maric. Plus sailing icon Giovanni Soldini as a hologram, former soccer coach Arrigo Sacchi, astronaut Roberto Vittori, communicator Barbara Gallavotti and philosopher Luciano Floridi, immunologist and scientific director of Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Alberto Mantovani, and Stefano Mancuso, Italy’s most influential botanist, together with the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Milan guided the audience in discovering the intelligence of plants. Evolutionary scientist and communicator Telmo Pievani and actor Marco Paolini closed the packed three-day schedule with a science show dedicated to Charles Darwin, one of the most visionary scientists in history.

Also confirming the brand’s strength and formula for success were the hundreds of thousands of views and social media interactions related to live broadcasts, with posts and videos shared on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Twitter. All the content was widely captured by the print, digital radio and TV media, and will remain available on Focus.it, the website of the monthly magazine Focus, which has seen peak views these days due to Focus Live events. The content will be enriched with extra contributions to continue to intrigue and win over fans, both young and old.

This edition of Focus Live was developed through the support and collaboration of the Civic Aquarium of Milan, Italian Air Force, Asi, Biokip Labs, CNR, Enea, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Giotto (Fila), IIT, Il Piccolo Teatro, INFN, Joint Research Centre, Italian Navy, Milan Civic Museum of Natural History, Milan Symphony Orchestra, Shake srl, Milan Civic Planetarium, Polytechnic University of Milan, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, University of Padua and Way Experience.

Focus Live is a Mondadori Media event organised in partnership with the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology, Mediamond and numerous other entities:

MAIN PARTNERS: Koelliker Group
PARTNERS: Carglass, Honor, Humanitas University
INSTITUTIONAL PARTNER: European Commission
CONTENT PARTNERS: AIRC, CDI, Mondadori Education, Opera San Francesco, Rilegno, TUV SUD
ART GUEST: Cracking Art
TECHNICAL PARTNER: Lete
OFFICIAL RADIO: R101
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