DUBLIN'S SUCCESSFUL bid to become European City of Science 2012 was "fabulously executed", according to the chairwoman of the selection panel that chose the winner. The city's promoters also took a more international view of the event than the main competitor, Vienna.
Euroscience is the body behind the European City of Science and its associated meeting, the Euroscience Open Forum.
Its vice-president, Dr Gail Cardew, was in Dublin yesterday to meet the Dublin organisers and begin a series of exchanges in anticipation of the 2012 event.
Dr Cardew confirmed that Dublin was the unanimous winner with a 10 to nil vote over main rival Vienna.
The Government's chief scientific adviser, Prof Patrick Cunningham, chaired the group leading Dublin's bid and the extensive preparation that went into it was a deciding factor, according to Dr Cardew, who is also the head of programmes at the Royal Institution in London.
"That bid was fabulously executed. They were up against Vienna and the Vienna bid was extremely high quality," Dr Cardew said yesterday.
Dublin "just had the edge" on a number of criteria, and in particular a strong international dimension that included links with the US, China and Africa.
"Dublin had a much broader reach in terms of Europe and connections with the global community," she added.
"We also really were impressed with the range of supporters they got into the bid."
These included many of the high-tech companies with research and production facilities based here, the same companies who will be approached as potential sponsors.
The 2012 forum will take place on July 12th-16th at the new convention centre, currently under construction along the quays overlooking the river Liffey.
"We loved the venue," Dr Cardew said.
"How many cities have a world-class venue right in the centre of the city?"
Dr Cardew spent the day in Dublin yesterday with Prof Cunningham, meeting some of the people who would be involved in organising the event. She also met the lord mayor, Cllr Eibhlin Byrne.
She briefed Prof Cunningham on the Euroscience structures set up to oversee the biannual event. The Dublin organisers would have to mesh with these structures if they were to benefit from the experiences gained in previous forums including this past summer's event in Barcelona, she said.
The next step would be to have Prof Cunningham "co-opted" on to the organising board for the 2010 Euroscience Open Forum to take place in Turin, Dr Cardew said.
This would place him "at the heart of decision-making for Turin", and provide first-hand experience of organising the large-scale forums. The event is expected to attract up to 8,000 delegates and will encourage public engagement, with up to 50,000 people expected to participate over its five-day run.