The INCREASE Citizen Science Experiment at the SILBERSALZ Science & Media Festival 2025

From 29 October to 2 November 2025, the 8th SILBERSALZ Science & Media Festival will once again transform Halle (Saale), Germany, into a meeting point for science, art and society under the motto “Es funkt!” (“It sparks!”).

As part of the Science Market at the festival, Dr Kerstin Neumann of IPK Gatersleben will introduce visitors to their extensive gene bank and present the INCREASE Citizen Science Experiment, which explores agrobiodiversity and the preservation of traditional bean varieties while testing a novel decentralised approach to genetic resources management. The Science Market is organised by ScienceCube Halle and features around 20 exhibitors from research, industry and civil society presenting innovations and ideas related to structural change.

On Saturday, 1 November at 17:00, Dr Neumann will also take part in the “Lange Tafel zum Strukturwandel” (“Long Table on Structural Change”) to discuss how citizen science contributes to regional transformation and sustainability, with the common bean taking centre stage as a true multi-talent among legumes.

For more information please visit the website of the festival:
SILBERSALZ Science & Media Festival
Science Market at SILBERSALZ Festival (in German)
Long Table on Structural Change (in German)