INSPIRIA science center

What INSPIRIA science center does

INSPIRIA science center (legal entity: INSPIRIA Science Center AS) is a privately held Norwegian interactive science center established in 2011, headquartered in Grålum, Østfold (Sarpsborg), with approximately 50 employees. The core product is a physical science center combining hands-on exhibitions, a planetarium (the only one in Eastern Norway), an astronaut simulator (GyroXtreme), science shows, and experience workshops including the proprietary Fantaskipet interactive space journey, Krimlab detective workshop, and Ombrukslab sustainability workshop. Adjacent infrastructure includes the Uteparken outdoor activity park, INSPIRIA science café, the Logia science shop, and INSPIRIA Matlab teaching kitchen. A 2022 strategic expansion into energy infrastructure — INSPIRIA Ladepark — added 75 EV charging spots powered by a 500 kWh solar-plus-battery system with V2G capability, making it one of the largest smart charging facilities in Norway.

The business operates a hybrid revenue model spanning B2C consumer admissions (per-minute ticketing at 3 kr/minute, birthday parties at 249 kr/child, cooking courses at 850 kr/person), B2B/education recurring revenue (school programs via formal agreements with Østfold fylkeskommune, teacher professional development courses), public-sector project funding (super:bit national coordination with ~20 million NOK support from Sparebankstiftelsen DNB, ENOVA ~5 million NOK for Ladepark, Interreg ~706,390 EUR for Framtidstro), and infrastructure revenue (EV charging at 3 kr/kWh, parking, conference venues). The company also serves as the official tourist information center for the Østfold region, distributing destination visitors to its facilities.

The organization's distribution advantages include national coordination of the super:bit programming education program across Norway's regional science centers (Vitensentrene i Norge) and leadership of the cross-border Framtidstro project with Innovatum Science Center in Sweden. Key strategic partnerships include Tesla Norge, Smart Innovation Norway (INVADE project), Østfold Energi, Sarpsborg kommune, Equinor (Morgendagens helter sponsorship), and Sparebankstiftelsen DNB. Recent product expansion includes the Fantaskipet experience (2025) and a new energy exhibition co-developed with Østfold Energi opening summer 2026.

Name

INSPIRIA science center

Legal name

INSPIRIA Science Center AS

Website

https://inspiria.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

INSPIRIA is a Norwegian interactive science center in Sarpsborg serving schools, families, and tourists with exhibitions, a planetarium, workshops, and recently expanded into EV charging infrastructure and national STEM education program coordination.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science center and STEM education experiences

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA), Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios) (EDAMADAC), IoT, Sensors & Embedded Systems (Arduino/Raspberry Pi) Programs (EDAMADAI), Simulation-Based Learning & Virtual Labs (EDAGAEAG)

Keywords

• Science center experiences
• Interactive science exhibits
• Planetarium and education
• School science programs
• Family learning activities

Headquarters

HQ city

Sarpsborg (Grålum)

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Visitors pay per minute (3 kr/minute) or standard admission fees for full-day access to the science center including all exhibitions and activities
2. Birthday Parties: Birthday celebration packages at 249 kr per child (minimum 10 children) including entry, party host, free play, science show, nitrogen ice cream, party room, and coffee for adults
3. Cooking Courses: Evening cooking courses priced at 850 kr per person, with dates throughout summer and fall
4. School Programs: Educational programs for schools included in agreements with Østfold county. Additional teacher courses and programs offered for fees ranging from 595 kr per teacher
5. Conference and Event Services: Meeting rooms and conference facilities available for booking, including INSPIRIA Matlab cooking kitchen for corporate events and team building
6. EV Charging Services: Electric vehicle charging at 3 kr per kWh, with 75 charging spots including 22kW AC and 50kW DC chargers plus Tesla Superchargers
7. Café and Retail: Science café serving food and beverages, plus Logia science shop selling toys, experiments, games and science-themed gifts

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

INSPIRIA science center operates an interactive science discovery center in Grålum, Norway, offering hands-on exhibitions, a five-projector planetarium, science shows, workshops, and the immersive Fantaskipet space experience. It also runs INSPIRIA Ladepark (a 75-spot EV charging facility with V2G), delivers school and kindergarten STEM programming, coordinates the national super:bit initiative, and provides teacher professional development, cooking courses, birthday parties, and conference facilities.

Product overview

INSPIRIA science center is a science center/museum in Sarpsborg, Norway, offering interactive exhibitions and educational experiences for visitors of all ages. The core product is the science center itself, featuring hands-on exhibitions, workshops (Krimlab, Ombrukslab, Spillkafé), the Fantaskipet space journey experience, a planetarium, GyroXtreme astronaut simulator, and science shows. Supporting facilities include INSPIRIA science café, Logia science shop, the outdoor activity park (Uteparken), and the INSPIRIA Ladepark EV charging station. Educational offerings include INSPIRIA Læringslab (digital learning lab for teachers), INSPIRIA Matlab (teaching kitchen), and various teacher professional development courses. The center also serves as the official tourist information for Østfold and operates large-scale projects like super:bit (national programming education) and Framtidstro (Interreg career education project). Summer 2026 features a new energy exhibition developed with Østfold Energi.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Logia: INSPIRIA Science Shop - a store offering gifts, games and experiments combining play, learning and wow moments, named after technology (techne + logia).
• INSPIRIA Ladepark
• INSPIRIA Læringslab
• INSPIRIA Matlab
• Fantaskipet

Products and services

• INSPIRIA Science Center Admission Walk-in and pre-booked admission to the science center's interactive exhibitions, planetarium shows, and science demonstrations, targeted at families, tourists, school groups, and individual visitors in the Østfold region.
• Fantaskipet Space Experience A ticketed, immersive space-travel experience using AV/AR-style storytelling, available to science center visitors as an add-on attraction alongside the planetarium.
• School and Kindergarten STEM Programs Booked STEM field-trip packages (exhibitions, planetarium shows, workshops) for school classes and kindergarten groups, aligned to Norwegian curricula and delivered under county-level framework agreements.
• National super:bit Program National coordinated initiative providing micro:bit programming kits, teacher training, and classroom resources to schools across Norway, run by INSPIRIA as the national coordinator.
• Teacher Professional Development Courses Short courses and workshops for teachers on programming, micro:bit, and innovative STEM pedagogy, delivered on-site and online via INSPIRIA's Læringslab resources.
• INSPIRIA Ladepark (EV Charging Facility) Public 75-spot EV charging park at the science center, featuring V2G bi-directional charging and load balancing, marketed to EV drivers and fleets as a destination charging stop.
• Conference and Meeting Facilities Rental of conference rooms, meeting spaces, and event facilities at the science center, with optional planetarium or science-show programming, targeted at corporate and association event buyers.
• Cooking Courses Ticketed cooking courses for adults and children, themed around food science and offered as a paid science-experience add-on at the center.
• Birthday Party Packages Science-themed children's birthday party packages including exhibition/planetarium access, party room, and host-led activities, sold to families.
• Østfold Tourist Information Point On-site Østfold regional tourist information desk operated by INSPIRIA, providing visitors with local travel advice, maps, and tourism information.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hosted nearly 1,000 students at Østfold's largest job interview event with 80+ training companies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability11 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Innovatum Science Center (Sweden)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Swedish partner in the Interreg Framtidstro project, collaborating on cross-border youth career development and technology education initiatives. Total project budget 1,704,753 EUR.
• Østfold fylkeskommunecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023County municipality partner in Framtidstro project, contributing to regional career guidance and youth development initiatives.
• Karrieresenter ØstfoldcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Career center partner in Framtidstro project, providing expertise in career guidance and youth employment support.
• NAVminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration partner in Framtidstro project, contributing to youth career development initiatives.
• Høgskolen i Østfold (HiØ)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Higher education partner in Framtidstro project, contributing academic expertise to youth career and technology education.
• Tesla NorgecoreTechnology or Integration · 4 April 2022Tesla contributed 40 Supercharger stations to INSPIRIA Ladepark, creating the 'smartest charging park in Norway' with ultra-fast charging capabilities alongside other sustainable energy solutions.
• Lær Kidsa KodingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaborative partner in super:bit project alongside Vitensentrene i Norge and NRK Super, focused on increasing children's interest and competence in programming.
• NRK SupercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Media partner in super:bit project, providing coverage through NRK Supernytt and organizing national super:bit events to promote coding education.
• Østfold EnergicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for new energy exhibition developed for summer, combining science education with regional energy expertise. Also a key partner in INSPIRIA Ladepark project for sustainable EV charging infrastructure.
• Smart Innovation NorwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped the innovative INVADE technology used in INSPIRIA Ladepark, including V2G (Vehicle to Grid) capability and load balancing systems. Professor Bernt A. Bremdal conceived the charging park idea.
• Sarpsborg kommunecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipality partner in the INSPIRIA Ladepark project, contributing to regional sustainable infrastructure development and smart city initiatives.
• SolcellespesialistencoreTechnology or IntegrationTotal contractor for the charging park installation, responsible for implementing the solar panel and battery storage infrastructure that powers the sustainable charging facility.
• Vitensentrene i NorgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of regional science centers across Norway collaborating on the super:bit program to deliver programming education nationwide.
• University of Oslo (Naturfagsenteret)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Skaperskolen (Makerschool) program, providing pedagogical framework and teaching tools for creative technology education.
• Vitenparken i ÅsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in offering free courses about gifted learners for teachers, providing expertise in talent development and sustainability education.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Exploratorium: Internationally renowned science museum in San Francisco, widely considered the model for interactive science centers worldwide. Relevant as the established benchmark for the science center model INSPIRIA operates, though at vastly greater scale.

Direct peers

• Experimentarium: Denmark's leading science center in Hellerup, Copenhagen. Extremely comparable: hands-on interactive exhibits, school programs, teacher training, and a science café, serving similar Nordic audiences and STEM education mission.
• Universeum: Sweden's largest science center in Gothenburg, combining a public aquarium, rainforest exhibits, and interactive science shows. Comparable as a Nordic science center with school programs, planetarium, and similar educational entertainment positioning.
• Vitensentrene i Norge (Norwegian Science Centers Network): Network of regional science centers across Norway that INSPIRIA belongs to and coordinates the super:bit program for. Member centers (Vitenfabrikken, Vitensenter Nordland, etc.) operate similar hands-on science education models for schools and the public.
• Innovatum Science Center: Swedish science center in Trollhättan that is INSPIRIA's partner on the Interreg Framtidstro project. Both are regional science centers combining hands-on exhibits, school programs, and project-based public funding, with cross-border collaboration on career education.
• Vitensenteret i Trondheim: Norwegian regional science center in Trondheim, part of the Vitensentrene network INSPIRIA coordinates super:bit for. Directly comparable: hands-on exhibits, school programs, teacher courses, and STEM education focus.
• Vitenparken Campus Ås: Norwegian science center located at NMBU in Ås, also a partner of INSPIRIA on teacher courses. Both are regional Norwegian science centers serving schools, families, and the public with hands-on STEM exhibits and teacher professional development.
• Teknisk Museum (Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology): Norway's national museum of science and technology in Oslo, providing interactive exhibits and school programs. Comparable as a Norwegian science museum with hands-on education focus, though serves a larger national scale than INSPIRIA's regional role.
• Heureka (Finnish Science Centre): Finnish science center in Vantaa offering interactive exhibits, planetarium, and school programs. Comparable Nordic science center model with hands-on STEM education focus and public-private funding structure.

Regional players

• Jærmuseet: Regional science and cultural museum in Jæren, Norway, focusing on science, technology, and natural history. Comparable as a Norwegian regional museum/science center with school programs, though with a different geographic catchment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCT_P0mu86omaTyKh3A1zNrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/INSPIRIAsc
• Instagraminstagram.com/inspiriasc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inspiria-science-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about INSPIRIA science center