Edinburgh International Science Festival will work with the City of Edinburgh Council and the Festival's principal programming partners such as the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh Zoo, the city's museums and visitor attractions to formulate a five-year plan that broadens and professionalises public engagement with science within the city region.

The focus of our work is expected to be 1. Assessment of the skills needed to deliver good science engagement, and 2. The creation of Market Places to enhance the trade in science engagement skills and activities.

The shortage of skills in the area of science engagement often frustrates the delivery of effective events. We will investigate the skills gaps and approaches that can be taken to improve them across many organisations.

The absence of an effective Market Place for the trading of science engagement know-how and activities means that efforts are often repeated by multiple participants. This reduces the overal return on investment in this area and in turn reduces the impact on society. We will look at the potential form and role of a suitable Market Place.