MHNC-UP

What MHNC-UP does

The Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da U.Porto (MHNC-UP) is a public university museum established at the end of 2015 through the merger of the former Museu de História Natural da Universidade do Porto and the Museu da Ciência da Universidade do Porto/Núcleo da Faculdade de Ciências. It operates as an integrated cultural and scientific institution under the Universidade do Porto, headquartered in Porto, Portugal. The museum's core asset is a portfolio of scientific and cultural collections accumulated over 2.5 centuries—originating in the university's first public teaching classes in Nautics (1762) and Drawing (1779)—spanning geology, paleontology, zoology, archaeology, ethnography, biological anthropology, botany (including the Herbarium PO), and historical scientific instruments.

The museum delivers its offering through three physical poles: the Polo Central (in the historic Rectorate building, currently undergoing deep rehabilitation while hosting temporary exhibitions), the Galeria da Biodiversidade – Centro Ciência Viva (inaugurated in 2017, featuring 49 exhibition modules across 15 themes under a 'total museology' philosophy), and the Jardim Botânico da Universidade do Porto. Supporting services include the Educational Service (Serviço Educativo) with programs for schools, families, guided visits, themed birthday parties, podcasts, citizen science initiatives, and specialized training; space rental across rooms of 29–188 m² for institutional, corporate, and social events; and collections loans and technical consultancy.

Revenue is generated through admissions to the three museum poles, educational service fees (cultural and scientific experiences priced at €24.50 per experience, valid 12 months), space rentals, specialized training, and collections consultancy/loans. Operations are subsidized by the University of Porto core budget, a major European Union regional development grant (NORTE-04-2114-FEDER-000004, 2014–2020), and corporate patronage (notably Sonae). The institution serves a primarily B2C audience of families, school groups, and general visitors in Porto and Northern Portugal, with a smaller B2B layer of corporate event clients, and extends its reach globally through a Google Arts and Culture partnership.

Name

MHNC-UP

Legal name

Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da U.Porto

Website

https://mhnc.up.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da U.Porto (MHNC-UP) is a public university museum under the University of Porto operating three poles in Porto—Polo Central, Galeria da Biodiversidade, and Jardim Botânico—that preserve 2.5 centuries of natural history and science collections and deliver educational programs, exhibitions, and event venue services to families, schools, and the general public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural History & Science Museum Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

Keywords

• Natural history museum
• Science education programs
• Biodiversity exhibitions
• Cultural heritage collections
• University museum services

Headquarters

HQ city

Porto

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Museum Admissions: Entry fees for museum visits to Polo Central, Galeria da Biodiversidade, and Jardim Botânico
2. Space Rental: Rental of museum spaces for institutional, corporate, and social events, as well as commercial purposes at Galeria da Biodiversidade
3. Educational Services: Fees for educational activities including guided visits, school programs, birthday parties, cultural and scientific experiences (e.g., behind-the-scenes museum visits at €24.50 per experience)
4. Specialized Training: Professional and specialized training programs offered by the museum's educational service
5. Loans and Consultancy: Museum collections loans and technical consultancy services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MHNC-UP is a multi-polar university museum that preserves, studies, and publicly exhibits natural history and scientific collections spanning 2.5 centuries across geology, paleontology, zoology, archaeology, ethnography, botany, and scientific instruments. It delivers paid museum admissions, guided educational visits and school programs, family activities and themed birthday parties, specialized training, technical consultancy, collections loans, and event-space rentals for institutional and corporate clients across three Porto locations: the Polo Central, the Galeria da Biodiversidade – Centro Ciência Viva, and the Jardim Botânico.

Product overview

The Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da U.Porto (MHNC-UP) is a multi-polar university museum established in 2015 through the fusion of the Museu de História Natural da Universidade do Porto and the Museu da Ciência da Universidade do Porto. The museum offers a unified portfolio centered on natural history and science education and outreach, organized around three physical locations: the Polo Central (Core Pole) housing historic collections in geology, paleontology, zoology, archaeology, and botany; the Galeria da Biodiversidade – Centro Ciência Viva featuring 49 exhibition modules on biodiversity; and the Jardim Botânico (Botanical Garden). Supporting services include educational programs for schools and families, space rental for events, and the Ferreira da Silva Laboratory as an emblematic historical chemistry space. The museum follows an innovative philosophy combining art and science to tell stories about life.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Galeria da Biodiversidade – Centro Ciência Viva: First center in the National Science Viva Centers Network dedicated specifically to biodiversity. Inaugurated June 30, 2017. Located in the Botanical Garden area. Features 49 expository modules and installations organized in 15 main themes.
• Polo Central do Museu
• Jardim Botânico da Universidade do Porto
• Laboratório Ferreira da Silva

Products and services

• Polo Central do Museu
• Galeria da Biodiversidade – Centro Ciência Viva
• Jardim Botânico da Universidade do Porto

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• SonaeflagshipOthersSonae is listed as a Patron/Mecenas of the Galeria da Biodiversidade, providing financial support for the museum's operations and programs.
• Ciência VivacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMHNC-UP is part of the Rede Nacional de Centros Ciência Viva (National Network of Ciência Viva Centers). The Galeria da Biodiversidade is the first center dedicated specifically to biodiversity in this network.
• DiSSCocoreTechnology or IntegrationDistributed System of Scientific Collections - European research infrastructure for natural history collections.
• LifewatchcoreTechnology or IntegrationEuropean research infrastructure for biodiversity and ecosystem data.
• EcsitecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network of science centers and museums for science communication.
• CETAFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium of European Taxonomic Facilities - network for taxonomy and natural history collections.
• ICOMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Council of Museums - global museum organization.
• PORBIOTAcoreTechnology or IntegrationPortuguese biodiversity information system.
• APOMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociação Portuguesa de Museologia - Portuguese museology association.
• Associação Portuguesa dos Jardins HistóricosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese Association of Historical Gardens.
• ASTCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of Science and Technology Centers - international network.
• NEMOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of European Museum Organisations.
• Google Arts and CulturecoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital platform partnership providing virtual access to museum collections and exhibitions online.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Muséum national d'histoire naturelle: Paris-based national natural history museum with comparable collections in zoology, paleontology, botany, and scientific instruments, plus active research and education programs. Directly comparable as a flagship European public natural history museum with mixed heritage/science/biodiversity remit.
• Natural History Museum, London: Major UK public natural history museum with historical scientific collections and biodiversity education programming. Closely comparable scope: heritage natural history collections, public exhibition halls, school/family education services, and international research network participation.
• Manchester Museum: University of Manchester's museum, with comparable university-museum model integrating natural history, archaeology, and ethnography collections with public exhibitions and school education services. Highly comparable as a UK/Iberian university natural history museum with strong educational remit.
• Museum für Naturkunde Berlin: Berlin's natural history museum integrated with Humboldt University, holding comparable university-affiliated collections in zoology, paleontology, and mineralogy. Comparable model as a research-integrated university natural history museum with significant educational outreach.
• Pavilhão do Conhecimento – Ciência Viva: Lisbon-based flagship science center of Portugal's Ciência Viva network, with similar science communication and educational programming model. Comparable as a domestic Portuguese peer within the same Ciência Viva network, focused on interactive science education rather than heritage collections.
• Naturhistorisches Museum Wien: Vienna's natural history museum with broad collections across geology, paleontology, zoology, and anthropology. Comparable as a multi-disciplinary European natural history museum with heritage collections, public exhibitions, and educational programming.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: Washington DC flagship Smithsonian natural history museum with globally significant collections and research mandate. Comparable as a large-scale public natural history museum with educational programming, but operates at much greater scale and resource base than MHNC-UP.
• California Academy of Sciences: San Francisco-based research institution and natural history museum combining aquarium, planetarium, and natural history exhibits. Comparable as a broad-incumbent natural history museum combining heritage collections with active biodiversity education and citizen science programs.

Regional players

• Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Madrid): Spanish national natural sciences museum under CSIC, with overlapping natural history collections in zoology, paleontology, and geology. Comparable as an Iberian regional peer with public research-museum structure and educational outreach mission.
• Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona: Barcelona's natural sciences museum combining historical collections with botanical gardens. Comparable as a regional Iberian counterpart in natural history collections and heritage science education, serving a similar Southern European cultural tourism market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/mhnc.up
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/mhncup
• Facebookfacebook.com/mhnc.up.pt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mhnc-up

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about MHNC-UP