In 1960 Theodore Maiman succeeded in the first experimental demonstration of the laser. Fifty years later it is difficult to figure out a scientific discipline that does not involve a laser or a day without any laser-based devices. The aim of this project was the development of an outreach book about lasers to increase the interest for science among students and the general public. Two thousand copies were distributed in universities, schools and libraries and now it is available to be freely downloaded.

The I National Competition of Crystallization in the School (http://www.lec.csic.es/concurso/) is a contest on crystallography and crystallization for young pupils that has been carried out among 20 secondary schools across 7 provinces (Granada, Cadiz and Malaga, Gerona, Oviedo, Murcia and Zaragoza) of 5 different regions (Andalusia, Catalonia, Asturias, Murcia and Aragon) throughout Spain.

In Spain, it is well known that secondary school students’ motivation to study Science (especially Mathematics) is not very strong. This is a common problem to almost all Europe. Spanish and Andalusian governments have general policies on education to promote the study of Science. They are necessary and convenient. However, we think that local actions in the students’ environment, which supplement these policies, are also needed.

For business competitiveness, innovation is one of the most significant factors for the development of new products, processes or services. In this sense, intellectual capital plays an important role in promoting the innovation culture by transferring the knowledge generated at the university into the business sector.

In order to benefit from the opportunities of the knowledge emerging from the university, the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the University of La Laguna together with the two Canary University Foundations launched the Innovation Dynamization Programme as a means to promote knowledge and technology transfer from universities to companies, as well as to build the innovation culture in the Canary Islands. After several editions, the need to bring this initiative to all the islands' society was identified. Thus, an ambitious training project was designed, with a greater degree of specialization, which could reach a greater number of profiles, in the islands’ society. This idea gave birth to the IInnovation Management Training Program, which aims to train specialists on innovation, so as to constitute a fundamental support for knowledge and technology transfer from the universities to business sector.

Our hands-on activity aims to convey that cutting-edge science is often hidden in plain sight, and accessible to people of all age groups and backgrounds. This is exemplified nowhere better than with Graphene, the world’s first two dimensional material, which was considered not to exist in a stable form. Graphene was first isolated only in 2004 by Manchester scientists Geim and Novoselov who were awarded the Nobel Prize for their efforts. Our activity allows just about anyone to make their own graphene with nothing more than a piece of graphite (pencil lead) and sticky tape like ‘Scotch’ tape. Indeed, this is identical to the way graphene was first isolated and now produced in high-tech clean room laboratories around the world. With this activity, we endeavour to allow people of all walks of life to experience the latest advances in science, and we reward their efforts with a chocolate Nobel medal!