Every year, on the last Friday of September, cities across Europe open their doors for the European Researchers’ Night. This EU-backed initiative brings researchers closer to the public, shows how research shapes our everyday lives and inspires young people to consider careers in science.

On Friday 25 September, CIRCUIT joined the celebrations in Santander. Our stand, organised by We Right Click (WRC) and the University of Cantabria (UC), brought the science of greener roads to life through hands-on materials, comics, a board game and a quiz.

Families, young people and curious visitors of all ages stopped by to discover how we can make transport infrastructure more circular, sustainable and resilient.

Touch it

How do you make a greener road? We let visitors explore the ingredients.

Samples of conventional bitumen and bio-based bitumen, alongside aggregates of different sizes, gave children and families the chance to see and feel the materials side by side. An infographic explained what goes into the mix.

Traditional bitumen is derived from petroleum. In CIRCUIT, we are testing bio-based alternatives that include cashew nut shell oil and by-products of the paper industry, such as lignin and tall oil resin.

Yes, cashew nut shells could help pave the way to greener roads!

We also explored how old road materials can be recycled and reused, and how aggregates from demolition can offer alternatives to freshly quarried stone.

Read it

Our comics brought the CIRCUIT pilot sites to life, explaining the project’s innovations in an accessible way for children and adults alike.

Children also took home copies of our new educational activity book, along with stickers and bookmarks. The book is currently available in Spanish, with translations into all partner languages planned.

Win it

Our new Spanish prototype of the CIRCUIT board game was a big draw. Kids and families could enter a raffle to win a game by first answering a quiz question about circular infrastructure.

The result? More than 17 board games found new homes in Cantabria.

The numbers

• 80+ families took part in the quiz and raffle
• 150+ booklets handed out to children
• 17+ board games raffled

What’s next

Santander was our third Open Day, after the Netherlands and Slovenia. And we’re not stopping here: we’re already talking to our partners in Croatia and Italy about the next events.

Follow CIRCUIT to see where we land next.