On 11 and 12 September 2026, students, teachers, and experts from Italy, Greece, Portugal, and Cyprus gathered in Matera, Italy, for the STEAM Innovation Festival & Final Conference (steaminnovation.eu/festival). Two days were dedicated to creativity, innovation, and new approaches to learning.

Materahub hosted the event at the University of Basilicata (UNIBAS). The conference marked the conclusion of the STEAM Innovation Ecosystem, a European project co-funded by the Creative Europe programme, dedicated to experimenting with new educational models that integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with arts and culture.

INQUIRY FUSE represented Cyprus as a key project partner, with Director Olia Tsivitanidou and Senior Project Manager Vasilia Philippou representing the organisation at the festival.

For two days, the city of Sassi brought together students, educators, scientists, experts, and institutional representatives from the four participating countries, creating a European space of exchange and experimentation for the future of learning. At the heart of the event was the role of the STEAM approach in fostering creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and social inclusion, as well as addressing modern challenges through a multidisciplinary lens.

Two days of dialogue on the future of STEAM Education

The first day focused on presenting and sharing the STEAM experiences developed throughout the project. The programme included keynote speeches, experience presentations, and panel discussions, creating opportunities for dialogue among students, teachers, researchers, and professionals regarding the future of STEAM education.

Students played a central role throughout the day, presenting 11 projects selected from the four partner countries that were developed within school classrooms using various STEAM methodologies and approaches.

Distinguished speakers joined them, including Konstantina Liakopoulou (Creative Europe Desk Greece, Hellenic Ministry of Culture), Dr Sofoklis Sotiriou (Head of R&D, Ellinogermaniki Agogi), Maria José Amândio and Liliana Cruz (Municipality of Oeiras), Jessica Niewint-Gori (Technologist & Head of Teaching, Pedagogy and Skills Research Unit, INDIRE), Nuno Charneca (InovLabs), Prof. Fabrizio Festa (CONSMT–POLIBA, Conservatory of Matera & Polytechnic University of Bari), and Avoustinos Tsaousis (Physics and Mathematics Teacher, Pascal International School Larnaca, and Executive Board Member of the European Network of STEAM Educators).

The Student Round Table gave voice to young participants, inviting them to reflect on their experiences and share their views on education and innovation.

In the afternoon, the STEAM Festival student performances offered participants the opportunity to discover the eleven projects through theatre, music, construction, and experimentation, providing practical examples of how scientific disciplines, arts, and creativity merge in learning processes.

Concurrently, two expert panel sessions brought together professionals to present STEAM experiences and projects implemented across schools and organisations. The festival extended beyond the university campus with an Urban Game in Matera’s city centre, organised by Giallo Sassi, engaging students in an interactive experience that transformed the city into a space for exploration, play, and learning.

During the session “STEAM Innovation in Action: Implementation and Results”, project partners presented the methodologies, activities, and outcomes derived from the pilot implementations conducted across the four participating countries.

An Expert Round Table Discussion then gathered representatives from educational policy, research, institutions, and the cultural sector to explore the relationship between STEAM, innovation, and education, highlighting tools and approaches for the wider integration of STEAM education into European education systems.

Cyprus school delegation highlights

Special thanks go to the two Cypriot schools that proudly represented our country through their project presentations:

• Pascal International School Nicosia: Represented by teachers Maria Pavlou and Chryso Koukou, alongside students Aren Perk, Daniel Chrysanthou, Gleb Gridin, and Nicolas Koutoumanos, who presented the project “Crimson Glory” (a representation of the natural phenomenon of a volcanic eruption through an original musical composition).

• Theoskepasti Gymnasium Paphos: Represented by teacher Yiorgos Antoniou and students Anna Agapidou, Kyriaki Charalambous, Alexander Nasif, and Phan Le, who presented the project “From Goals to Music” (an analysis of statistical goal data from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the period 2011–2025, converted into a musical composition).

For more information about the STEAM INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM project and the festival, visit the website at steaminnovation.eu/final-conference or social channels (Facebook | Instagram).