CENTRE DE CULTURE SCIENTIFIQUE DE L'ULB A CHARLEROI-PARENTVILLE

What CENTRE DE CULTURE SCIENTIFIQUE DE L'ULB A CHARLEROI-PARENTVILLE does

Centre de Culture Scientifique de l'ULB à Charleroi-Parentville (CCS) is a non-profit scientific culture and public outreach center affiliated with the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), established in 1994 and operating from a single campus at rue de Villers 227, Charleroi, Belgium. CCS functions as ULB's hands-on science communication hub for the Charleroi region, delivering interactive exhibitions (temporary, permanent, and rentable), a catalogue of practical workshops, themed school-holiday camps, science shows, conferences, an escape game, astronomy programs, birthday-party packages, intergenerational tandem workshops, and a small on-site boutique with equipment rental.

The center serves four primary audience segments: individuals and families seeking educational leisure; schools and educators requiring curriculum-aligned science activities; companies seeking team-building or corporate events; and associations/organizations arranging group visits. Distribution is exclusively physical at the Charleroi campus, supplemented by participation in the MuseumPASSmusées cross-museum pass network. Marketing is conducted through a content-rich website, an email newsletter, and active profiles on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of unit-priced streams — admission and workshop fees, boutique merchandise sales, exhibition-hall rentals, and donations/support programs — with institutional funding flowing from parent ULB and likely Belgian public science-policy sources. Governance, ownership, and strategic direction rest entirely with ULB; CCS has no independent shareholders, no external investors, and no disclosed funding rounds. A ~11-person team supports operations, indicating a lean, grant- and earned-income-funded model rather than a venture- or PE-scaled enterprise.

Name

CENTRE DE CULTURE SCIENTIFIQUE DE L'ULB A CHARLEROI-PARENTVILLE

Legal name

Centre de Culture Scientifique de l'ULB à Charleroi-Parentville (CCS)

Website

https://ccs-ulb.be

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CCS is a non-profit science outreach center affiliated with the Université Libre de Bruxelles, operating a single Charleroi campus offering exhibitions, workshops, camps, escape games, and astronomy programs to families, schools, companies, and associations in Belgium.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleroi

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Museum admission and visitor fees: Revenue generated from individual and group admission fees for exhibitions and visits.
2. Workshop fees: Paid workshops for various audiences including schools, families, and individuals, with published pricing.
3. Boutique sales: Retail sales of merchandise and rental of equipment through the on-site boutique.
4. Event venue rental: Exhibition spaces available for rental, including both temporary and permanent exhibition halls.
5. Donations and support: Support programs allowing donors to contribute to the CCS mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CCS is a non-profit science culture center that offers interactive science exhibitions, hands-on workshops, themed holiday camps, science shows, escape games, astronomy sessions, conferences, and birthday party packages at its Charleroi-Parentville campus. It also operates an on-site boutique selling science merchandise and equipment rental, and accepts the MuseumPASSmusées pass. Its primary audience is the general public, families, school groups, and educators, with some corporate and association group activities.

Product overview

The Centre de Culture Scientifique (CCS) is a science education museum and cultural center affiliated with Université Libre de Bruxelles, located in Charleroi. It offers a unified portfolio of public science engagement services organized around exhibitions (temporary and permanent), hands-on workshops (Ateliers), events, themed camps (Stages), science shows (Spectacles), conferences, escape games, astronomy programs, and birthday party packages. The center also operates a retail boutique selling science articles and offers equipment rental. Core offerings serve multiple audience segments: individuals/families, school groups, educators, and businesses, with a current emphasis on the 'Illusions' summer exhibition featuring guided visits and escape game activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exhibitions (Expositions) Science exhibitions including temporary exhibitions (currently featuring 'Illusions'), permanent exhibitions, and upcoming exhibitions available for venue rental. Target audience: general public, schools, and groups.
• Workshops (Ateliers) Practical science workshops offered as a catalogue and tied to current exhibitions, with combined offers for schools and groups. Target audience: schools, families, and individuals.
• Events (Evénements) Science events for the general public and school groups, including guided visits and special programming. Target audience: general public and school groups.
• Holiday Camps (Stages) Science-themed camps and workshops for children during school holidays, including themed sessions like 'Le maître de l'illusion' and 'Les vacances de la famille Addams'. Target audience: children and families during school holidays.
• Science Shows (Spectacles) Science shows and theatrical performances related to scientific themes. Target audience: general public and school groups.
• Conferences and Training (Conférences et formations) Educational conferences and professional development sessions for educators and the general public. Target audience: educators and the general public.
• Escape Game Science-themed escape room experience available during summer and regular hours. Target audience: general public, families, and groups.
• Astronomy Programs (Astronomie) Astronomy-related activities and programs offered at the science center. Target audience: general public and educational groups.
• Birthday Parties (Ton anniversaire au CCS) Birthday party packages for children featuring science-themed activities and workshops. Target audience: families with children.
• Tandem Workshops (Ateliers Tandem) Paired workshop activities designed for intergenerational participation. Target audience: adults and children participating together.
• On-site Boutique (Shop) Retail shop selling science-related articles and merchandise, alongside equipment rental services. Target audience: visitors and groups.
• MuseumPASSmusées Participation Acceptance of the Belgian MuseumPASSmusées pass, allowing cardholders free or discounted entry to participating Belgian museums. Target audience: holders of the MuseumPASSmusées card.
• Donation and Support Programs Support programs allowing donors to contribute to the CCS mission, accessible via the 'Soutenez le CCS' page under the ULB umbrella. Target audience: donors and supporters.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe CCS is the scientific culture center of the Université Libre de Bruxelles, located on the Charleroi-Parentville campus. The center operates under the ULB umbrella and represents its public science outreach mission.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Nemo Science Museum: Dutch science center in Amsterdam operating interactive science exhibits, workshops, and educational programs for families and schools. Directly comparable as a European hands-on science museum with similar audience segments and revenue mix.
• Experimentarium: Danish science center in Copenhagen with interactive exhibitions, workshops, and educational programming for schools and families. Closely comparable as a European science center focused on hands-on learning.
• Mus\u00e9um des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique: Belgium's national natural sciences museum located in Brussels. Comparable as a Belgian museum offering exhibitions and educational programming, though larger and more established.
• Palais de la D\u00e9couverte: Historic French science museum in Paris offering interactive demonstrations, exhibitions, and educational workshops. Comparable as a European science museum emphasizing hands-on and demonstration-led learning.

Broad incumbents

• Science Museum Group: UK-based group operating the Science Museum in London and related sites. Comparable museum-based science education model with exhibitions and learning programs, but at national scale.
• Cit\u00e9 des Sciences et de l'Industrie: Major French science museum and cultural center in Paris with exhibitions, workshops, conferences, and a children's science venue. Comparable operating model but at significantly greater scale and with broader national scope.
• Deutsches Museum: One of the world's largest science and technology museums in Munich, with exhibitions, demonstrations, and educational programs. Comparable science museum format but at a much larger scale.
• Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci: Italy's principal science and technology museum in Milan, with exhibitions, labs, and educational programming. Comparable operating model at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/twitter
• YouTubeccs.site.ulb.be/fr/ulb-tv
• Facebookfacebook.com/facebook
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-de-culture-scientifique-de-l'ulb-a-charleroi-parentville
• Instagramccs.site.ulb.be/fr/instagram

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 CENTRE DE CULTURE SCIENTIFIQUE DE L'ULB A CHARLEROI-PARENTVILLE