Vitenparken Campus

What Vitenparken Campus does

Vitenparken Campus Ås is a Norwegian non-profit foundation (Stiftelsen Vitenparken Campus Ås) operating one of Norway's 13 officially designated science centers. Located on Campus Ås alongside NMBU (Norwegian University of Life Sciences), NIBIO, NOFIMA, and the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, it serves schools (kindergarten through upper secondary), families with children, gifted students in its national Talentsenter bærekraft program, corporate and private event clients, and the general public visiting its exhibitions, café, and conference facilities. In 2023 the center hosted 118,000 visitors, including approximately 6,000 school pupils, generated revenue of just under 30 million NOK, and employed 33 FTE.

Its core product surface integrates physical exhibitions (including the 2025-launched 'Bevares!' biodiversity exhibition with seven thematic sections), the NOBA Norwegian BioArt Arena, a 2,400 m² kitchen garden (VitenEnga), the on-site Andedammen café/restaurant and Parken microbrewery, MatLab cooking courses, Makerspace workshops, guided campus tours, and digital learning products including the Dyrk urban-gardening app and the Brumle AI-learning app under development. NOBA additionally coordinates international art-science research projects (Anthropogenic Soils 2022-2028, 'After the Single Use' 2024-2029, 'relating forests' 2025). Vitenparken's wholly-owned subsidiary Inspire to Action provides external digital conference and media-production services.

Revenue is split approximately 30% from state funding (Ministry of Education via the science-center scheme and Ministry of Agriculture and Food), 30% from self-generated operations (café, conferences, events, tickets, retail), and the remaining ~40% from project grants and corporate partnerships. The center reaches customers through an event-driven and community-led go-to-market: school bookings via email, a public event calendar and ticketing system, the Vitenparkens Venner friends association (~140-160 members), a newsletter, and social media channels. Pricing ranges from free school visits and annual memberships at 125-175 kr to private tours from 1,000 kr base plus 100 kr/person, conference rooms from 350 kr/hour, and summer camps at 2,850 kr per week.

Name

Vitenparken Campus

Legal name

Stiftelsen Vitenparken Campus Ås

Website

https://vitenparken.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vitenparken Campus Ås is a non-profit Norwegian science and experience center on NMBU Campus Ås serving schools, families, gifted students, corporate event clients, and the public through exhibitions, a bioart arena, café, kitchen garden, and educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Science Center

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Educational Games & Kids/Families Game Studios (MPAFAAAI), Game Development (Unity, Unreal, 2D/3D) (EDAMACAE)

Keywords

• Public science center
• STEM education programs
• Exhibition and venue services
• Talent development programs
• Science communication services

Headquarters

HQ city

Viken

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Sector Grants: Approximately 30% of Vitenparken's revenue comes from state funding over the national budget, allocated via the Ministry of Education (Kunnskapsdepartementet) through the science center scheme, plus annual grants for Talentsenter Bærekraft and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (Landbruks- og matdepartementet).
2. Own Operations (Café, Conference, Events, Tickets, Retail): About 30% of revenues come from Vitenparken's own operations including café/restaurant management (Andedammen), conference services, events, ticket sales, and retail. All revenues are reinvested into creating activities and knowledge experiences.
3. Project Funding and Partnership Revenue: The remaining revenue comes from numerous small and large projects funded by public and private funding schemes, and from partnerships with industry. Revenue also includes service purchases related to outreach and dissemination activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Vitenparken Campus Ås operates a non-profit science and experience center offering interactive exhibitions, school and youth educational programs, conference and event venue hire, an on-site café/restaurant (Andedammen), and Norway's only bioart arena (NOBA). It also runs the Talentsenter Bærekraft talent program for gifted students and produces digital educational games and apps.

Product overview

Vitenparken Campus Ås is a non-profit science and experience center operating as a unified platform of interconnected educational, cultural, and hospitality services. The core offerings include interactive exhibitions (Bevares! biodiversity exhibition), educational programs for schools (Skolebesøk), youth development (VitenSkolen summer camps and Talentsenter Bærekraft talent program), and the Norwegian BioArt Arena (NOBA) for bioart. Supporting services include Andedammen Café & Restaurant (using produce from VitenEnga kitchen garden), conference and event venues, campus tours, MatLab cooking courses, and Makerspace workshops. The center also develops digital products including the Dyrk urban gardening app and Brumble AI learning app, while NOBA conducts international art-science research projects. All offerings are tied to the center's mission of sustainability education, science communication, and green transition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NOBA (Norwegian BioArt Arena): Norway's first and only bioart arena, combining art and science to focus on environmental and social challenges through exhibitions, workshops, artist residencies, and the annual BioArt symposium.
• Talentsenter bærekraft

Products and services

• Andedammen Café & Restaurant On-site café and restaurant at Vitenparken serving sustainably prepared, seasonal dishes using ingredients from the on-site kitchen garden VitenEnga and local farms. Offers à la carte dining, meeting catering, and event hospitality services for visitors and event attendees.
• School Programs (Skolebesøk) Tailored educational visits for students from kindergarten through high school (grades 1-13), covering natural sciences, genetics, food production, sustainability, coding, and programming aligned with Norwegian curriculum objectives. Free for upper secondary schools; ~6,000 school pupils visited in 2023.
• VitenSkolen (Science School) Leisure-time activities for children and youth including science weekends, holiday camps (summer, autumn, winter, Easter), and maker activities covering coding, biotechnology, physics, cooking, and chemistry. Summer camp for ages 7-12 priced at 2,850 kr/week.
• Talentsenter Bærekraft (Talent Center for Sustainability) One of six national talent centers for students with high learning potential in STEM subjects, offering 4-6 gatherings per year on real science, technology, and sustainable development through exploration of real-world problems. Free program for grades 7 to VG2.
• Norwegian BioArt Arena (NOBA) Norway's first and only bioart arena combining art and science through exhibitions, artist residencies, workshops, and the annual BioArt Symposium. Focuses on environmental and social challenges; participates in international art-science collaborations including EU Creative Europe and Wellcome Trust-funded projects.
• Bevares! Biodiversity Exhibition Major permanent biodiversity-themed exhibition with seven new thematic sections exploring nature, ecosystems, and environmental challenges. Open to the public as part of Vitenparken's permanent exhibition space at Campus Ås.
• Conference & Event Venue Hire Meeting rooms and conference facilities for 2 to 225 persons, including venues Mikroliv (16), MatLab (16), Den glade professor (40), Vitenteatret (44), Kornrommet (60), and Hovedkvarteret (225). Pricing from 350 kr/hour, 1,300 kr half-day, from 2,500 kr full day. Includes catering and professional digital production via subsidiary Inspire to Action.
• Campus Tours (Omvisninger) Guided tours of NMBU Campus Ås exploring park history, neoclassical architecture, and landscape. Available in Norwegian and English with public and private group options. Private guided tours start at 1,000 kr base + 100 kr/person; summer guided tour with buffet at 289 kr/person.
• MatLab Course Kitchen Cooking club and course kitchen offering workshops on sourdough baking, food preservation, and food preparation. Also available as a meeting venue for up to 16 persons.
• Makerspace Technical workshop facilities for hands-on learning with technology including programming, 3D printing, and maker activities for students and youth. Members of Vitenparkens Venner receive 15% discount.
• Dyrk Urban Gardening App Mobile application for urban gardening and urban agriculture support, developed by Vitenparken to help users grow plants and manage kitchen gardens.

Quantifiable outcome

• 118,000 visitors annually (2023), including ~6,000 school pupils
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record.

• TheatreFragile (Germany)Strategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025German theatre company specializing in critical societal issues through performative art in public spaces. Partner in the EU-funded 'relating forests' project (2025), exploring human-forest relationships through art, science, and European mythology. Co-funded by Creative Europe.
• Cultures Eco Actives (France)Strategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025French organization experimenting with environmental awareness through art, cultural cooperation, and field studies. Partner in the EU-funded 'relating forests' project (2025), contributing European cultural perspectives on forest-human relationships.
• Ås KommuneStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Ås Municipality collaborates with Vitenparken annually on SmakÅs food and technology festival, and on the SmakÅs Familiedag (Family Day). The municipality also cooperates with Vitenparken on the Talentsenter Bærekraft program.
• Brønnerud skoleStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Brønnerud skole collaborated with Vitenparken to develop the school garden platform, with support from Ås municipality and Sparebankstiftelsen DNB.
• Eivind Astrups Allmennyttige StiftelseOthersA foundation supporting youth in Oslo and surrounding areas who are at risk of 'falling out' of society, focusing on organized outdoor activities and reducing school dropout. The foundation supports organizations with proven results and projects that are difficult to realize without their support.
• Coca-Cola Europacific PartnersOthersA major international beverage company and partner of Vitenparken.
• INFINITUMStrategic or Co-development PartnerINFINITUM operates Norway's deposit return system for beverage cans and plastic bottles. Vitenparken collaborates with INFINITUM on circular economy projects, particularly a new installation soon to be launched. The partnership focuses on raising awareness about recycling and circular economy principles.
• EVOLYSTechnology or IntegrationOslo-based company specializing in research, development, and production of lighting for living environments. EVOLYS has sponsored Vitenparken with grow lights for the BioArt MakerSpace.
• Drøbak AkvariumStrategic or Co-development PartnerDrøbak Akvarium showcases Oslofjord's marine life with 14 aquariums, 2 large tanks, and a touch pool. It is a collaboration partner for the HAV (SEA) exhibition at Vitenparken.
• FelleskjøpetStrategic or Co-development PartnerFelleskjøpet is a cooperative owned by 44,000 Norwegian farmers, serving as the most important supplier of technology and operational inputs for Norwegian agriculture. Both Felleskjøpet and Vitenparken share goals around sustainable food production and innovation.
• TINEOthersNorway's leading dairy company and partner of Vitenparken, collaborating on food and agricultural education.
• NIBIO (Norsk institutt for bioøkonomi)Strategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research with ~700 employees, NIBIO is a key cooperation and competence partner for Vitenparken. NIBIO contributes knowledge on food and plant production, environment, land use, genetic resources, forestry, and economics. Much of the knowledge Vitenparken conveys originates from NIBIO research. NIBIO also has a cooperation agreement covering scientific history work.
• NMBU (Norges miljø- og biovitenskapelige universitet)Strategic or Co-development PartnerNMBU is a key cooperation and competence partner for Vitenparken, located adjacent on Campus Ås. NMBU focuses on sustainability, food production, environmental science, and renewable energy. Vitenparken is an independent foundation but collaborates closely with NMBU on events, and many NMBU students work part-time at Vitenparken. NMBU is also represented on Vitenparken's board.
• DeLavalStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeLaval is a global company providing equipment and solutions for dairy farming. It is a partner of Vitenparken, contributing to the center's agricultural technology and food production educational content.
• Inspiria Science Center (Sarpsborg)Strategic or Co-development PartnerInspiria is one of Norway's science centers. In the 2026 school year, Talentsenter Bærekraft at Vitenparken continues a collaboration with Inspiria, with one group of 8th and 9th graders attending sessions at Inspiria's facilities.
• Veterinærinstituttet (Norwegian Veterinary Institute)Strategic or Co-development PartnerLocated on Campus Ås alongside NMBU, NIBIO, and NOFIMA, the Veterinary Institute forms part of the campus research ecosystem that Vitenparken draws on for educational content and research collaboration.
• NOFIMAStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian food research institute located on Campus Ås. Forms part of the research ecosystem that informs Vitenparken's food, sustainability, and agricultural educational programs.
• Norsk Veterinærhistorisk Selskap (NVHS)Strategic or Co-development PartnerNVHS collaborates with Vitenparken and Vitenparkens Venner on veterinary history documentation, as part of the scientific history work at Campus Ås. A 2021 cooperation agreement regulates responsibilities for veterinary medical historical work.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Tekniska Museet: Tekniska Museet is Sweden's national museum of technology in Stockholm. As a broader incumbent with a wider portfolio, it overlaps with Vitenparken's science-commission and exhibition role but operates at a larger national scale.
• Exploratorium: Exploratorium in San Francisco is the world's benchmark for a hands-on science learning center with artist-in-residence programming. While at a much larger scale, its model of combining interactive science exhibits with art-science collaboration directly parallels Vitenparken's NOBA-led approach.
• Norsk Teknisk Museum: Norsk Teknisk Museum is Oslo's national museum of science and technology. It is comparable as a Norwegian science-and-heritage institution with similar exhibitions and school programming, though it operates as a museum rather than a campus-embedded science center.

Direct peers

• VilVite: VilVite is the Bergen-based Norwegian science center, one of 13 national science centers. It operates a comparable visitor-experience model with exhibitions, school programs, and science shows, competing for the same school-trip market and government funding.
• Experimentarium: Experimentarium is the leading Danish science center in Copenhagen and one of Northern Europe's most established experiential science attractions. It is a direct comparable in scale, programming mix, school-business model, and bioart/science festival programming.
• Oslo Vitensenter (Klikk): Oslo Vitensenter is the science center serving the Oslo region, sharing the same national scheme and operating model. It is the closest geographic competitor for school and family visitors in the capital region.
• Vitensenteret i Trondheim: Vitensenteret is the Trondheim-based science center, one of the 13 national science centers. It offers comparable experiential science exhibits, school programs, and family activities targeting similar demographic segments.
• Inspiria Science Center: Inspiria is one of Norway's 13 official science centers, located in Sarpsborg. It is the most direct Norwegian peer and is already an operational partner with Vitenparken on the Talentsenter Bærekraft program, serving comparable school and family audiences with similar hands-on STEM programming.
• Nordnorsk Vitensenter: Nordnorsk Vitensenter in Tromsø is the northernmost of Norway's 13 official science centers. It is a direct comparable operating the same national scheme, with similar school-outreach and public engagement programs.

Emerging players

• Ars Electronica Center: Ars Electronica Center in Linz is a leading European art, technology, and society center with deep bioart programming. It is a strong peer for NOBA's bioart arena and art-science residency model, though it operates in a more technology-curatorial niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2GpkAB0YW26sXfEsMXpjwQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/Vitenparken
• Instagraminstagram.com/vitenparken
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vitenparken-campus-aas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Vitenparken Campus