Mikko Myllykoski

The European science centre movement took a remarkable step in January 1989 by founding a collaborative organisation, Ecsite.

As our network turns 30 this year, we can look back and celebrate Ecsite's undeniable quantitative and qualitative growth. A handful of science centres started a process that now involves hundreds of very diverse science engagement organisations and thousands of professionals who touch the minds and hearts of millions of people every year in Europe and beyond.

Ecsite is inviting you to Copenhagen this June to celebrate the 30th edition of its annual conference. On this anniversary edition a lot of the programme will be looking ahead, not back. We will explore how to widen and deepen visitor participation, ask what are the new tools and methods we need to invent, who are the new partners we need and how do we make the most of our field's legacy while constantly re-inventing ourselves?

The theme of the conference, 'Pushing Boundaries', has been the leading star of the science engagement movement all along; otherwise we would not be thriving and celebrating.