Forum Départemental des Sciences

What Forum Départemental des Sciences does

The Forum Départemental des Sciences is a public cultural science center operated by the Département du Nord in Villeneuve d'Ascq, France. Housed in the 4,000 m² Centre François Mitterrand (built 1994-1996), the facility hosts a fully renovated 14m, 114-seat planetarium — positioned as the first 100% immersive hybrid planetarium in France following a 2025 renovation — alongside interactive investigation games (Enigma), early-years mini-workshops (Espace d'Atom), and rotating temporary exhibitions such as Vaisseau Terre, Croque Couleurs, and Territoires d'industries. The Forum welcomes approximately 100,000 visitors per year across families, school groups, disabled visitors, and corporate event clients, with substantial free-admission and reduced-pricing provisions for social, age, and accessibility categories.

The business model is principally subsidized rather than commercial: revenue streams include ticket sales (e.g., €9 adult planetarium, €8 exhibition, €8 Enigma, €5 Espace d'Atom), private venue rental (planetarium, La Doc, Enigma rooms) for corporate events and seminars, sales of educational toolboxes (e.g., 'À la découverte du ciel'), and rental of itinerant productions. Beyond on-site activities, the Forum runs two flagship outreach programs. Sciences Collège Nord is a free education program unique in France, coordinated for 28 years across a network of 21 cultural structures serving all Nord-department middle schools. Sciences à emporter deploys 30+ itinerant tools — traveling exhibitions, document cases, and portable planetariums (3.20m and 4.44m) — to schools, municipalities, and associations across the Hauts-de-France region, supported by annual calls for projects that have reached 28,000 people since 2019.

The Forum is governed by the Département du Nord as part of an eight-facility departmental cultural equipment network, with financing from departmental subsidy, regional funding from Région Hauts-de-France, banking partners including Crédit Agricole Nord de France, and European funds (FEDER) for capital projects such as the 2025 planetarium renovation. The institution has no commercial shareholders, no investors, no API, no AI/ML capability, and no proprietary software product; its competitive position rests on physical assets (planetarium, 4,000 m² facility), content library (30+ itinerant productions, 100+ documentary resources in La Doc), and an institutionalized network of cultural partners.

Name

Forum Départemental des Sciences

Legal name

Forum Départemental des Sciences

Website

https://forumdepartementaldessciences.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Forum Départemental des Sciences is a public science culture center in Villeneuve d'Ascq, France, operated by the Département du Nord, serving ~100,000 annual visitors through an immersive planetarium, interactive exhibitions, and outreach programs to schools and communities across the Nord department.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Center and Cultural Mediation Services

NAICS

Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)

Keywords

• Science center services
• Planetarium shows
• Interactive exhibitions
• Educational outreach programs
• Cultural mediation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Villeneuve d'Ascq

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Admission and Activity Fees: The Forum generates revenue through ticket sales for planetarium shows, temporary exhibitions (Vaisseau Terre, Croque Couleurs, Territoires d'industries), Enigma investigation games, and the Espace d'Atom workshop space. Pricing varies by activity type: Planetarium adult tickets 9€, exhibition 8€, Enigma 8€, with free entry for children under 12 for exhibitions. Pass tribe family tickets available at 25€ for 4 people.
2. Venue and Space Rental: The Forum offers exceptional spaces for private events including meetings, seminars, conventions, general assemblies, colloquia, product launches, and gala evenings. Rental options include the planetarium, La Doc, and Enigma rooms. Spaces are managed as part of the 8 cultural equipment network of the Department of Nord.
3. Sales of Educational Tools: The Forum sells selected itinerant educational tools created by the Forum, such as the 'À la découverte du ciel' astronomy game box. These are sold to educators and institutions wanting to replicate activities independently.
4. Itinerant Tool Rental: Over 30 production tools (exhibitions, document cases, games boxes, planetariums) are available for rental to professionals, educators, and event organizers across the Nord department. Rental pricing is available via consultation of the fee schedule document.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Forum Départemental des Sciences operates a 4,000 m² public science center offering immersive planetarium shows, interactive temporary exhibitions, scientific investigation games, and workshops for children and families. It also runs the Sciences Collège Nord free educational program for all middle schools in the Nord department, an itinerant tools lending service (30+ productions) for outreach across Hauts-de-France, a documentary resource center for professionals, and venue rental for private events.

Product overview

The Forum Départemental des Sciences is a cultural science center operated by the Département du Nord in Villeneuve d'Ascq, spanning 4,000 m² with approximately 100,000 annual visitors. Its product portfolio is organized around permanent interactive facilities — the Planétarium (a 100% immersive dome theater), Enigma (investigative science games), and Espace d'Atom (color-themed workshops for toddlers) — complemented by rotating temporary exhibitions (Vaisseau Terre, Croque Couleurs, Territoires d'industries). Beyond on-site activities, the center operates large-scale outreach programs: Sciences Collège Nord (a free school program involving 21 partner cultural structures across the Nord department) and Sciences à emporter (over 30 itinerant toolkits, exhibitions, and planetariums available for loan). Supporting services include La Doc (a documentary resource center with free loans), guided visits in four formats, project calls for free distribution of itinerant tools, room rental for professional events, and recurring public events including astronomy nights, Repair Cafés, and blood drives. The center is not a software product company; it has no API or AI/ML capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sciences Collège Nord: A free educational program unique in France, coordinated by the Forum des Sciences for 28 years, financed by the Department of the Nord, open to all colleges in the Nord department.

Products and services

• Planétarium A fully renovated 100% immersive planetarium (first in France) with a 14 m diameter dome, 114 seats, offering eight astronomy shows per year for audiences from age 3 and up. Sessions combine realistic star projection with digital immersion across 360 degrees.
• Vaisseau Terre A temporary exhibition designed, produced, and presented by the Cité de l'espace in Toulouse, exploring Earth through four themes: 'Our Blue Planet,' 'A Planet of Life(s),' 'Humans on Earth,' and 'What Earth for Tomorrow?' Suitable for ages 7 and up.
• Enigma An interactive scientific investigation game set in a fictional city where visitors solve mysteries through experimentation, manipulation, and reasoning. Three sessions are offered: 'Codes secrets' (ages 7+), 'Illusions retrouvées' (ages 9+), and 'En quête d'évolution' (ages 12+).
• Croque Couleurs An interactive, sensory-rich temporary exhibition for children aged 3 to 6, inviting them to explore and experiment with color perception and the symbolism of colors through a hands-on discovery path.
• Espace d'Atom Mini-workshops for children aged 2 to 4, designed around the theme of colors, offering a sensory approach in a semi-autonomous setting with an adult companion. Includes a collective workshop and individual mini-workshops.
• Territoires d'industries An exhibition exploring the industrial mutations that have shaped the landscapes and identity of the Hauts-de-France region, examining links between industrial heritage, innovation, and human transformation.
• Sciences Collège Nord A free program unique in France, coordinated by the Forum des Sciences for 28 years, funded by the Département du Nord, open to all middle schools in the Nord department. Combines in-class animation by a scientific mediator, a visit to one of 21 partner cultural structures, and a project exhibition at the Forum.
• Sciences à emporter (Itinerant tools) Over 30 itinerant productions — including traveling exhibitions, documentation cases, and portable planetariums — available for loan to professionals in the Hauts-de-France region. Includes small boxes transportable by car for use by teachers and animators.
• La Doc (Centre de ressources documentaires) A documentary resource center offering free support and resources to animation, culture, and education professionals in the Hauts-de-France region, including on-site consultation, book and audiovisual loans, and documentary cases.
• Appels à projets (Project calls) Calls for projects enabling municipalities, libraries, social actors, associations, and cultural facilities in the Nord department to receive free-of-charge thematic selections of itinerant tools. Five editions conducted since 2019 reaching 28,000 people.
• Guided visits Guided visits offered in four formats: for individuals/families, groups, school groups, and people with disabilities, providing structured exploration of exhibitions and the planetarium.
• Room rental (Espaces exceptionnels) Meeting rooms and reception spaces adaptable for professional events — study days, seminars, conventions, general assemblies, colloquia, product launches, and gala evenings — with bespoke scientific activities and private visits.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100,000 annual visitors to the Forum facility
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Cité des sciences et de l'industriecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor national science communication institution partnership. The Cité de l'espace (Toulouse) collaborated on the 'Vaisseau Terre' exhibition, bringing content expertise in space and astronomical science culture.
• Université d'ArtoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partner for 'Territoires d'industries' exhibition with the master Expographie-Muséographie of Université d'Artois at Arras.
• ProsciteccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation valorizing heritage of trades and industries in Hauts-de-France, co-developer of 'Territoires d'industries' exhibition.
• CNRScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor national research institution listed as scientific and institutional partner for season cultural co-construction.
• INSERMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational health and medical research institute listed as scientific and institutional partner.
• Université de LillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor regional university partnership including DU Astro team, listed as scientific and institutional partner for cultural season.
• Inria Lille Nord de FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational research institute for digital science listed as scientific and institutional partner.
• Cité des géométriescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCultural structure dedicated to promoting mathematical and digital culture in Val de Sambre. Partner in Sciences Collège Nord with 21 cultural structures.
• Musée d'Histoire naturelle et de Géologie (Lille)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner in Sciences Collège Nord network, offering natural history and geology programs for students.
• MusVerre (Sars-Poteries)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlass art center with international reputation, partner in Sciences Collège Nord offering optics and light programs.
• Palais de l'Univers et des Sciences (Cappelle-la-Grande)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor science center on 4,000 m² with planetarium, exhibitions, and hands-on activities. Key partner in Sciences Collège Nord.
• Planétarium Orionis (Douai)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHigh-quality digital planetarium offering exceptional immersive space experiences. Partner in Sciences Collège Nord.
• Cité Nature (Arras)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural venue partnership for science and nature programming.
• Eaux du NordminorOthersRegional water services company partner in Forum projects.
• CARL - Club astronomique de la région lilloisestrategicOthersLocal astronomy club partnering for public solar observation events and Nuits des étoiles programming.
• Abbaye de VaucellescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor12th-century Cistercian abbey now cultural venue of Department of Nord, partner in Sciences Collège Nord and astronomy programming with observation sessions.
• 21 cultural structures (Sciences Collège Nord network)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of 21 cultural structures across Nord department participating in Sciences Collège Nord: Abbaye de Vaucelles, Archives départementales du Nord, Centre régional de la photographie, Cité des Géométries, Conservatoire botanique, Écomusée de l'Avesnois, Forum antique de Bavay, Forum des Sciences, Halle aux Sucres, Jardin des Plantes, Maison natale Charles de Gaulle, Musée-parc Arkéos, Musée de la Bataille de Fromelles, Musée des Dentelles et Broderies, Musée de Flandre, Musée Henri Matisse, Musée d'Histoire naturelle et de Géologie, MusVerre, Palais de l'Univers et des Sciences, Planétarium Orionis, Pôle archéologie.
• Établissement français du sangminorOthersFrench blood establishment partnering for blood donation events at the Forum.
• Ville de Villeneuve d'Ascq - Développement durableminorOthersMunicipal service partnering for Repair Café events promoting repair and waste reduction.
• Ch'ti LugminorOthersLego hobbyist association providing DUPLO animations during Nuits des étoiles and other events.
• OrdiRétrominorOthersRetro computing association providing vintage video game space during events.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• La Cité de l'Espace: Major space-themed science center in Toulouse and co-developer of the Forum's Vaisseau Terre exhibition; broader and more tourism-oriented but highly comparable in planetarium/exhibition product mix and educational programming.
• Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie: France's flagship science center in Paris and a strategic content partner of the Forum (co-developer of the Vaisseau Terre exhibition); operates at a much larger scale but covers the same science-mediation mission across exhibitions, planetarium, and educational programming.

Emerging players

• Cosmocité: New-generation planetarium and science center in the Grenoble area with a modern immersive dome; competes for national prestige and best-practice recognition in the French planetarium category that the Forum's renovated planetarium now leads.

Regional players

• Musée d'Histoire naturelle et de Géologie de Lille: Natural history and geology museum in Lille and Sciences Collège Nord partner; comparable cultural institution model with exhibitions and educational programming for the same Nord department schools and families.
• Exploradôme: Interactive science center near Paris focused on digital culture and hands-on experiments; comparable in product mix (interactive workshops, exhibitions, school programs) but operating in a different metropolitan catchment.
• MusVerre: International glass-art and light-focused cultural center in Sars-Poteries (Nord) and Sciences Collège Nord partner offering optics and light programming; complementary rather than direct, but serves overlapping school audiences in the Nord department.
• Cité Nature: Science-and-nature cultural venue in Arras (Hauts-de-France) and Sciences Collège Nord partner; overlapping family and school audience for interactive exhibitions and educational programming in the same regional market.

Direct peers

• Palais de l'Univers et des Sciences: Major 4,000 m² science center and planetarium in Cappelle-la-Grande (Nord department) offering exhibitions, planetarium shows, and hands-on activities; listed as a Sciences Collège Nord partner and is the closest geographic and product analogue to the Forum des Sciences.
• Planétarium Orionis: High-quality digital planetarium in Douai (Nord department) and Sciences Collège Nord partner offering immersive space experiences; competes directly with the Forum's planetarium for school groups and family audiences in the same regional catchment.
• Centre Sciences: Regional Centre de Culture Scientifique Technique et Industrielle (CCSTI) for the Centre-Val de Loire region; comparable to the Forum in operating model as a departmental/regional CSTI coordinating exhibitions, school programs, and itinerant science outreach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/forum_sciences
• Facebookfacebook.com/forum.des.sciences
• Instagraminstagram.com/forum.des.sciences
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forum-d%C3%A9partemental-des-sciences

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Forum Départemental des Sciences