Vitensentrene

What Vitensentrene does

Vitensentrene (legally Vitensenterforeningen) is a Norwegian non-profit association that coordinates a national network of 13 regional science centers providing informal STEM education to children, youth, families, and schools across Norway. Its members include Nordnorsk vitensenter (with Norway's first public planetarium, opened 1989), INSPIRIA, Oslo Vitensenter, VilVite, ViteMeir, Vitensenteret i Trondheim, Vitensenteret Sørlandet, Jærmuseet, Vitensenter Nordland, Vitenparken, Vitensenteret Innlandet, Atlanterhavsparken Vitensenter, and DuVerden. The network reaches over 1.3 million people annually through physical center visits, school-based outreach, and national digital programming initiatives, covering 85% of Norway's population within 1.5 hours of a center.

Core products fall into two layers: (1) national programs (Kodekraft, a free programming curriculum for grades 9-10 developed with Equinor's Morgendagens Helter, penetrating 60%+ of secondary schools; Super:bit, a 5-year micro:bit programming mandate for all 6th graders backed by 50M NOK from the Ministry of Education; Talentsenter i realfag, a gifted-student science talent program; Skaperskolen, a maker-education resource collection; LydLab, sound/music education; FIRST LEGO League competitions) and (2) center-based offerings including interactive exhibits, a Northern Lights Planetarium (95-seat, 12.2m dome), birthday party packages, school-group visits (NOK 60/student with prior booking), and admission ticketing (NOK 80-150 per person; family ticket NOK 395; annual passes NOK 450-550). The September 2024 Kunstig intelligens-utstilling AI exhibition, co-developed with UiT's Machine Learning Group, introduces computer vision and generative AI capabilities for children under 10.

The revenue model blends several streams: admissions and ticket sales (pay-as-you-go per visit), subscription yearly passes, school-group fees (NOK 60/child), event rentals including birthday parties (NOK 200-250/guest), gift shop merchandise, corporate sponsorships from Equinor, Sparebankstiftelsen DNB, Statkraft, and Østfold Energi, and recurring government grants from Kunnskapsdepartementet via Utdanningsdirektoratet. Distribution combines physical centers, outreach teams traveling to remote schools, online platforms (kodekraft.no, superbit.no), and the Lær Kidsa Koding partner network of 200+ volunteer code clubs. The association is privately held (non-profit forening) with no parent company and no parent-subsidiary control structure; member centers operate with their own governance while the association coordinates national programming.

Name

Vitensentrene

Legal name

Vitensenterforeningen

Website

https://vitensenter.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vitensentrene is a Norwegian non-profit association coordinating a national network of 13 regional science centers that deliver informal STEM education to children, youth, families, and schools across Norway, complemented by national programming initiatives like Kodekraft and Super:bit.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Education Centers

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Study Habits & Homework Systems Workshops (EDAMAIAL)

Keywords

• STEM education services
• Science center network
• Informal science learning
• School outreach programs
• Interactive science exhibits

Headquarters

HQ city

Mo I Rana

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Revenue from individual and family tickets to science centers and planetarium shows. Ticket prices vary by age category and include access to interactive exhibitions.
2. School Programs: Fee-based educational programs for schools and kindergartens visiting the science centers or receiving outreach visits.
3. Public Funding: Government funding from Kunnskapsdepartementet (Ministry of Education) and Utdanningsdirektoratet for national programs like Talentsenter i realfag and Super:bit.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorships from companies like Equinor (Morgendagens Helter program), Sparebankstiftelsen DNB, and other partners supporting educational programs.
5. Event Rentals and Birthday Parties: Rental of facilities for birthday parties, corporate events, and private functions at science centers.
6. Merchandise Sales: Sales from science center gift shops offering science experiments, books, toys, and educational materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Vitensentrene (legal name Vitensenterforeningen) is a Norwegian non-profit association that coordinates 13 regional science centers across Norway delivering informal STEM education. It operates interactive science exhibits, a planetarium, school programs, after-school clubs, talent programs for gifted students, and national coding initiatives (Kodekraft for grades 9-10 and Super:bit for grade 6). The network reaches over 1.3 million people annually and covers 85% of Norway's population within 1.5 hours travel time.

Product overview

Vitensentrene (Vitensenterforeningen) is the national association of 13 regional science centers across Norway, providing informal STEM education to children, youth, families, and schools. The portfolio consists of core educational programs including Kodekraft (free programming curriculum for grades 9-10, developed with Equinor), super:bit (national micro:bit programming initiative for grade 6, in partnership with NRK and Lær Kidsa Koding), Talentsenter i realfag (talent program for gifted students in science, grades 5-VG2), Skaperskolen (maker education resources), LydLab (sound and music education), and FIRST LEGO League (robotics competition). The network includes 13 regional science centers (Nordnorsk Vitensenter in Tromsø/Alta, Oslo Vitensenter at Norsk Teknisk Museum, INSPIRIA science center, ViteMeir in Sogn, and others) each offering exhibits, planetariums, school programs, birthday parties, and club activities. Nordnorsk vitensenter recently launched a permanent AI exhibition for children developed with UiT and SFI Visual Intelligence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Super:bit: National programming education initiative for primary school students using micro:bit technology, a collaboration between NRK, Vitensenterforeningen, and Lær Kidsa Koding
• Kodekraft
• Talentsenter i realfag
• ViteMeir
• LydLab
• Skaperskolen
• Super:bit

Products and services

• Kodekraft
• Super:bit
• Talentsenter i realfag
• Skaperskolen (Makerschool)
• LydLab (SoundLab)
• FIRST LEGO League (FLL)
• SKILLS Kveldslab
• SKILLS Kodeklubb (Code Club)
• Arctic Frontiers Young
• Eksperimentklubben (Experiment Club)
• Oslo Vitensenter
• INSPIRIA science center
• ViteMeir
• Nordnorsk Vitensenter
• Kunstig intelligens-utstilling (AI Exhibition)
• Nordlysplanetariet (Northern Lights Planetarium)
• Mr.Goodfish3.0

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1.3 million people experience the regional science centers annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Mr.Goodfish3.0 ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2024Nordnorsk vitensenter is a pilot site in this EU Horizon Europe project promoting responsible seafood consumption. Partners include Nausicaá (France), Cyprus Marine & Maritime Institute, Science Centre Experyment (Poland), and others.
• NRK SupercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019National broadcaster partner in super:bit project, creating coding content accessible to all Norwegian children through NRK's platforms reaching families at home.
• Kunnskapsdepartementet (Ministry of Education)coreOthers · 1 January 2018Government ministry providing 5-year mandate (2018-2022) to Vitensenterforeningen through Utdanningsdirektoratet for promoting programming competence in Norwegian schools as part of the 'Technological Schoolbag' initiative.
• Lær Kidsa Koding (LKK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization running over 200 volunteer code clubs across Norway. Partner in super:bit project for delivering programming education during leisure time.
• INSPIRIA science centercoreOthersCoordinating super:bit school program on behalf of all Norwegian science centers.
• Norsk Teknisk MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOslo Vitensenter is located at Norsk Teknisk Museum (Norwegian Technical Museum), Norway's national museum for technology, industry, natural science, and medicine.
• UiT Norges Arktiske UniversitetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordnorsk vitensenter is located on UiT campus and collaborates on Arctic Frontiers programs, Science for Schools, and Science for Kids initiatives.
• FramsenteretminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch center in Tromsø collaborating on Arctic research communication and Arctic Frontiers conferences.
• PolariaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArctic aquarium in Tromsø partnering on Arctic Frontiers Science for Schools program.
• Arctic FrontiersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational conference on sustainable development in the Arctic, held annually in Tromsø with participation from research, business, and politics sectors.
• APECS (Association of Polar Early Career Scientists)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization of polar early career researchers collaborating on Arctic Frontiers Young programs.
• Andøya Space EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpace education provider in Andøya, collaborating on TENK Tech Camp and space-related educational activities.
• KSAT (Kongsberg Satellite Services)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSatellite services company partnering on TENK Tech Camp to provide space technology expertise.
• Østfold EnergiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy company collaborating with INSPIRIA science center on new energy exhibition.
• StatkraftminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy company partnering with ViteMeir on Girl Tech Fest event with 150 girls participating.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Experimentarium: Copenhagen-based Danish science center with a similar hands-on STEM exhibit model, planetarium, school programs, and corporate sponsorship structure. Closest international direct peer given shared Nordic operating environment.
• VilVite: Bergen-based science center and member of the Vitensentrene network, operating under the same informal STEM enrichment model with exhibits, school programs, and family visits. Directly comparable in mission, funding structure, and target audience.
• INSPIRIA science center: Vitensentrene member center in Grålum (Østfold) that acts as the national coordinator for super:bit and Kodekraft. Same operational model, target customers, and revenue mix (admissions, school programs, sponsorships).
• Nordnorsk vitensenter: Tromsø-based regional science center and Vitensentrene member that operates the Northern Lights Planetarium and AI exhibition. Same operational model and member of the same national coordinating association.

Others

• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): US-based nonprofit that runs the FIRST LEGO League robotics competition delivered across Vitensentrene's Norwegian centers. Ecosystem peer and content partner rather than a direct competitor.
• Lær Kidsa Koding: Norwegian volunteer-run organization that operates 200+ code clubs across Norway and is a core partner in the super:bit project. Ecosystem peer delivering complementary free programming education for children.

Broad incumbents

• Exploratorium: San Francisco-based interactive science museum widely regarded as the global benchmark for hands-on STEM exhibits. Comparable in exhibit-based pedagogy, school programs, and family audiences, though at much larger scale.
• Tekniska museet (Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology): Stockholm-based national science and technology museum that co-hosts Oslo Vitensenter's parent (Norsk Teknisk Museum has an Oslo counterpart at the same level). Comparable in mission and scale within the Nordic region.
• Science Museum Group: UK national group operating the Science Museum in London and related sites. Operates at significantly larger scale but with the same combination of interactive exhibits, school programs, planetarium content, and government/corporate funding.

Regional players

• Heureka (Finnish Science Centre): Helsinki-area science center operating in neighboring Finland with a comparable model of interactive exhibits, planetarium shows, and school visit programs. Regional peer with overlapping educational mission but different national market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Vitensenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/nordnorskvitensenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/nordnorsk_vitensenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nordnorsk-vitensenter

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Vitensentrene