More than 700 people turn the URV into a great laboratory

The Fira Experimenta 2026 promotes science and STEM vocations with experiments and interactive games for families and students.

Més de 700 persones participen a la Fira científica de la URV convertint-la en un gran laboratori experimental — Imagen de la Fuente — More than 700 people participate in the URV Science Fair, turning it into a great experimental laboratory — Image by the Source

Júlia Gual

Updated: 25/05/26 | 15:22

A different Friday at the Sescelades Campus: more than 700 people transformed the Rovira i Virgili University into an open-air scientific laboratory. Families, students, and scientific mentors came together to experience science without filters, in a unique celebration where the students donned the lab coat of a science communicator.

The setting? The Experimenta Fair 2026, which on May 22 gathered 27 finalist teams from the Challenge Experiment program in the classroom, coming from nine educational centers in Catalonia, with one clear goal: to make science stop being a mystery and become a direct experience.

More than experiments: a participatory experience

Finalist teams and everyday scientific challenges

The 27 teams presented projects that raised questions everyone has asked at some point: why doesn’t the Leaning Tower of Pisa fall? How can you generate electricity with a lemon? Or how to launch a rocket with a chemical reaction? These questions served as the foundation for experiments that captured the attention of both young and old.

The active participation of families at the stands turned the Fair into a vast laboratory where you could touch, try, and learn firsthand, all while sharing a space of scientific discovery with the young science communicators.

Notable awards and recognitions

Amid the atmosphere of curiosity, the professional jury and the public recognized the best experiments. The Can Mas Institute of Ripollet won the Essity Award with a scientific magic trick that guessed chosen numbers. The Collblanc Institute of La Canonja took home the ELIX Award with a study on pool water quality, while the Gaudí Institute of Reus achieved the DOW Award and the Audience Award with a chemical rocket that lifted smiles and emotions.

Innovation and fun in scientific outreach

Scientific Passport and novelties

The children earned points with the Scientific Passport, an activity that encouraged them to visit different stands solving challenges and actively experimenting. This formula added dynamism and healthy competition to the fair.

Additionally, the premiere of the educational game "Save Today" captivated attendees. This game proposes an adventure to save the planet, combining real experimentation with questions about sustainability and recycling, sparking feelings of surprise and excitement among the kids.

A tool to break stereotypes and encourage vocations

The Challenge Experiment program in the classroom not only promotes scientific learning but also seeks to break gender stereotypes and foster STEM vocations among young people. With a method based on experimentation and active participation, students face real questions with the help of scientific mentors from the university or business world.

This accompaniment makes science cease to be an abstract concept and become a tangible passion, with the support of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT).

Impact and future of the Experimenta Fair

Connection with educational centers

This year, the Fair gathered students from nine centers across Catalonia, from Valls to Barcelona, passing through Reus, Tarragona, and Tortosa. This territorial plurality reinforces URV’s commitment to scientific outreach and quality education.

The massive public presence and the involvement of young people make it clear that science can be fun and accessible, beyond books and classrooms.

Building the foundation of science for the future

The Experimenta Fair 2026 is not only a date marked on the calendar but a turning point for many young people who perhaps didn’t know that science could be so attractive. With activities mixing play, discovery, and rigor, a new generation of scientists is being built to face tomorrow’s challenges.

Chemical reactions, curious questions, and the smiles of children and youth leave no doubt: URV has become a great scientific laboratory where science is tangible, exciting, and, above all, for everyone.

The reality is that this Experimenta Fair has been much more than an event: it has been a living demonstration that science can and must be part of society’s daily life.