Dynamic Earth

What Dynamic Earth does

Dynamic Earth is a non-profit science centre and 5-star family visitor attraction in Edinburgh, Scotland, founded in 1996. It operates a single physical site at the foot of Arthur's Seat volcano adjacent to Holyrood Park, delivering interactive exhibitions on earth sciences, environmental topics, and STEM disciplines. The centre's product surface includes the Robot Challenge Screen, an interactive digital exhibit themed around robotics and AI concepts, and a new Arthur's Seat Gallery in development that will showcase local geological and ecological heritage. Technology is light-touch: cloud-delivered content, digital displays, and interactive exhibit hardware rather than proprietary software platforms.

The organisation serves two primary segments: students and educational institutions seeking hands-on STEM learning, and the general public and families seeking educational entertainment. Its go-to-market is event- and experience-driven, relying on visitor footfall, school group bookings, and community outreach rather than digital distribution. Revenue is generated through one-time visitor admissions combined with grants and public fundraising appeals; pricing is not publicly disclosed and ticket monetisation is supplemented by capital campaign support such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund grant tied to a public match-funding appeal.

Strategic direction in 2025–2026 has emphasised institutional partnerships and content expansion. A formalised collaboration with Heriot-Watt University (November 2025) targets STEM and robotics/AI outreach, while a £173,846 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant (conditional on £80,000 of match-funding) supports the new gallery. Operating geographies remain Scotland-only, with no public indication of multi-site or international expansion.

Name

Dynamic Earth

Legal name

Dynamic Earth

Website

https://dynamicearth.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Dynamic Earth is a non-profit Edinburgh science centre offering interactive earth sciences and STEM exhibitions to families, school groups, and students. Operating since 1996, it is funded via visitor admissions, grants, and public fundraising, with a new Arthur's Seat gallery in development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Education Centre

NAICS

Museums (712110), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Educational & Edutainment Parks (Science/Discovery/Children’s Parks) (THAJAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC), Earth Science & Geoscience Programs (EDAMABAI), Virtual Field Trips & Experiential Learning Environments (Museums, Geography, History) (EDAFAJAG), Environmental Interpretation & Ranger-Led Education Programs (Visitor Education) (THAAAOAJ)

Keywords

• Science education
• Earth sciences
• STEM learning
• Interactive exhibits
• Visitor attraction

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Visitor Admissions: Revenue generated from public admission tickets to the science centre exhibitions and attractions
2. Fundraising and Grants: Public fundraising appeals and National Lottery Heritage Fund grants to support gallery development and centre improvements

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Dynamic Earth is a science centre and visitor attraction in Edinburgh that delivers interactive exhibits, gallery experiences, and educational programming focused on earth sciences, environmental awareness, and STEM learning. Its offerings include the Robot Challenge Screen interactive digital experience covering robotics and AI concepts, and the in-development Arthur's Seat Gallery exploring the geology of Edinburgh's volcano and Holyrood Park. The centre serves families, school groups, university students, and adult learners through on-site visits and outreach partnerships.

Product overview

Dynamic Earth is an Edinburgh-based science centre offering interactive exhibits and educational experiences focused on earth sciences, environmental topics, and STEM education. The centre features interactive exhibits such as the Robot Challenge Screen, which provides hands-on engagement with robotics and AI. A major upcoming development is the Arthur's Seat Gallery, dedicated to exploring Edinburgh's iconic volcano and Holyrood Park, which is being funded through a public fundraising campaign with match-funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Robot Challenge Screen

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Heriot-Watt UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2025Formalised partnership to enhance STEM learning and careers in Scotland. Collaboration involves outreach activities, public engagement, and opportunities for students and adult learners to connect with STEM fields, particularly robotics and AI. Aims to address Scotland's widening skills gap through joint educational initiatives.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre: Jodrell Bank is a UK science discovery centre with interactive exhibits, school engagement, and National Lottery Heritage funding. Its visitor attraction plus educational programming model closely mirrors Dynamic Earth's operating approach.
• Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum: Thinktank is a regional UK science museum with interactive exhibits, planetarium, and education programmes. It is a like-for-like operating model and audience target as Dynamic Earth.
• Eureka! The National Children's Museum: Eureka! is a UK children's museum focused on hands-on STEM and family learning, with very similar interactive-exhibit and school-group economics to Dynamic Earth.
• Techniquest: Techniquest is a Welsh science discovery centre with hands-on STEM exhibits and structured school programming. It shares Dynamic Earth's model of combining interactive exhibits, school visits, and family ticketing.
• Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh: RBGE is an Edinburgh visitor attraction combining natural science, education programming, and family visits. It competes for the same environmentally engaged family and school audiences, with strong parallels in charitable operating model.
• National Museum of Scotland: Located in Edinburgh, the National Museum of Scotland is a major free cultural attraction competing for the same family and tourist audience. Its science and technology galleries overlap directly with Dynamic Earth's educational proposition.
• Glasgow Science Centre: Glasgow Science Centre is Scotland's other flagship interactive science centre, with broadly similar interactive exhibits, school-group programmes, and IMAX-style attractions. It is the closest geographic and operational peer to Dynamic Earth.

Broad incumbents

• Science Museum Group: Science Museum Group operates major UK science museums including the Science Museum in London and the National Science and Media Museum. It is a broader incumbent with multiple sites and far larger reach than Dynamic Earth, but with highly overlapping educational themes.
• Natural History Museum (London): The Natural History Museum is a much larger UK science/natural history institution with substantially overlapping earth-sciences subject matter and school audiences, but operates at a national scale with a broader portfolio than Dynamic Earth's single-site attraction.

Regional players

• Royal Observatory Edinburgh: Royal Observatory Edinburgh is a regional visitor centre focused on astronomy science engagement in the same Edinburgh tourism market. It overlaps on school STEM programming and family visitors, though on a more specialised topic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dynamic Earth