Berlin School of Public Engagement and Open Science

What Berlin School of Public Engagement and Open Science does

Berlin School of Public Engagement and Open Science is a non-profit public law foundation founded in 2020 and embedded within the Public Engagement and Impact Unit of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science). It professionalizes Public Engagement (PE) with research in Germany and internationally by developing and delivering training programs, conducting research, and building a community of PE practitioners. Its core offering is the Public Engagement Training Portfolio, a 9-month online program comprising three thematic modules (Building Blocks, Evaluation, and Creative Formats), supplemented by annual international academies (Collaborative Futures Academy, ChangeMaker Academy) and a suite of funded research projects (IETI, PEX, WiNoDa, Third Mission School, KAPAZ, ECEDI). Supporting resources include the Public Engagement Kodex (a co-developed sector framework), the Emotions Toolkit, and the IETI Impact Framework based on a Logic Model approach now adopted by TB Alliance.

The organization serves three primary customer segments: individual researchers across disciplines seeking PE skills; research institutes, universities, excellence clusters, and consortia requiring institutional PE strategy consulting; and PE practitioners seeking professional development pathways. It also engages research funders and policy makers (BMBF, Einstein Stiftung, VolkswagenStiftung, European Commission) to influence funding frameworks and policy. The business model is grant-funded with no commercial revenue: operations are financed through multi-year grants from BMBF, VolkswagenStiftung, Einstein Stiftung, Stifterverband, and similar bodies. Services are delivered exclusively through institutional partnerships rather than direct sales, and international partnerships with University of Cambridge, Wellcome Connecting Science, Kavli Centre, and Stellenbosch University extend the geographic footprint across the UK and South Africa.

Name

Berlin School of Public Engagement and Open Science

Legal name

Berlin School of Public Engagement and Open Science

Website

https://publicengagement.berlin

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Berlin School of Public Engagement and Open Science is a non-profit foundation founded in 2020 and embedded within the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, professionalizing Public Engagement with research through training, international academies, and research projects for German and global research institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Development and Training Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Subject-Specific Short Courses & Academies (e.g., STEM, Business, Arts) (EDAIAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research & Lab-Based Short-Term Programs (Undergraduate/Graduate) (EDAIAIAF)

Keywords

• Public engagement training
• Research training
• Professional development programs
• Science communication
• Sector development

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Institution Funding: As a project of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (Leibniz Institute), the Berlin School operates as a publicly funded research and training initiative. Funding comes from government sources including BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research), VolkswagenStiftung, and Einstein Stiftung. No commercial revenue model.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Berlin School provides training, academies, and consulting services for Public Engagement with research. Its core offering is a Public Engagement Training Portfolio consisting of three thematic modules (Building Blocks, Evaluation, Creative Formats) delivered online over a nine-month cycle, complemented by annual international academies (Collaborative Futures Academy and ChangeMaker Academy) and institutional consulting for research organizations.

Product overview

Berlin School of Public Engagement and Open Science offers a comprehensive portfolio of programmes, training, and research projects focused on strengthening Public Engagement between research and society. The core offerings include the Public Engagement Training Portfolio (a 9-month online programme with three modules on building blocks, evaluation, and creative formats), international academies (Collaborative Futures Academy and ChangeMaker Academy for leadership development), and multiple research projects (KAPAZ, ECEDI, PEX, IETI, WiNoDa, Third Mission School). These are complemented by community events like PEP Journal Club, First Steps Symposium, and Next Steps Programme. The organization also produces resources including the Public Engagement Kodex, Emotions Toolkit, and Impact guides. Together, these offerings provide a complete ecosystem for professionalizing and embedding Public Engagement in German research culture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Collaborative Futures Academy (CFA): Annual online academy programme for researchers and Public Engagement practitioners from around the world to explore and expand Public Engagement practice through workshops, case studies, and reflection.
• ChangeMaker Academy (CMA)
• IETI – Impact-Oriented Public Engagement
• PEX – Public Engagement Exchange
• WiNoDa – Knowledge Laboratory for Natural Science Collections
• KAPAZ
• Third Mission School
• ECEDI – Einstein Center for Early Disease Interception

Products and services

• Public Engagement Training Portfolio
• Collaborative Futures Academy (CFA)
• ChangeMaker Academy (CMA)
• Public Engagement Kodex (Principles for Public Engagement)
• IETI - Impact-Oriented Public Engagement
• Bespoke Consulting and Training
• PEP Journal Club
• Next Steps Programme

Named customers5 records

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

14 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Hasso-Plattner-Institut - School of Design ThinkingmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Innovation partner for the PEX program, contributing design thinking methodology to develop new methods for international implementation of Public Engagement in research.
• European CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Hosted Mutual Learning Exercise in 2024 to inform development of European policy and funding for Public Engagement.
• South African Department of Science and InnovationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Government partner for Senior Round Table on Public Engagement and subsequent bilateral cooperation initiatives including the PEX fellowship program.
• Museum für Naturkunde BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020The Berlin School is embedded within the Public Engagement and Impact Unit of the Society and Nature Science Programme at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin. This is the host institution providing organizational infrastructure, staffing, and strategic alignment with the museum's mission.
• University of Cambridge (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Long-term partner in the Collaborative Futures Academy annual program. Cambridge contributes expertise to curriculum development and co-hosts the academy bringing international perspectives to PE practice.
• Wellcome Connecting Science (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partner in Collaborative Futures Academy, contributing to the annual international program for researchers and practitioners exploring topical PE themes.
• Kavli Centre for Ethics, Science, and the Public (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Academic partner in the Collaborative Futures Academy, providing ethics expertise and perspectives to the annual PE practitioner development program.
• Stellenbosch University (South Africa)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Key international partner for the German-South African Public Engagement Exchange (PEX) and Collaborative Futures Academy. Provides research component for fellowship program and co-hosts annual academies.
• StifterverbandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned the Exploratory Study on Collaborative Research in Germany conducted by the Public Engagement and Impact Unit and Berlin School.
• German Archaeological InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution participating in the Public Engagement Training Portfolio.
• NeuroCure (Berlin University Alliance)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExcellence Cluster partner receiving PE training and culture change consulting through institutional partnership.
• TB AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdopted the SimpliciTB logic model developed by Berlin School for impact reporting and development across trial sites worldwide.
• ScotPEN (Scottish Public Engagement Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts monthly PEP Journal Club with Berlin School for peer review and discussion of PE and Science Communication research.
• Cyber ValleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributed to development of the Public Engagement Kodex alongside Berlin School and expanding practitioner network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO): Intergovernmental life-sciences organisation running researcher training programmes including science policy and engagement. Comparable in the model of running structured researcher-training programmes adjacent to research institutions and the European policy layer.
• Falling Walls Foundation: Berlin-based international science dialogue and research-impact platform convening global researchers, journalists, and policy actors. Comparable in operating from Berlin in the research/society interface at a broader, more event-driven scale.
• Wellcome Trust / Wellcome Connecting Science: Major UK research funder running programmes that train researchers in public engagement (Connecting Science). An existing partner of the Berlin School in the Collaborative Futures Academy and a broader incumbent in PE funding and training.
• AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology: US-based science engagement body supporting researcher training, dialogue, and recognition. A larger incumbent in the same category operating with broader scope across STEM disciplines and public policy engagement.

Regional players

• Haus der Wissenschaft: German network of over 60 science communication institutions running joint events like Wissenschaftstag and Citizens' University. Comparable in operating as a Germany-only PE/science dialogue network, but serving a broader science-communication than research-engagement remit.

Direct peers

• Scottish Public Engagement Network (ScotPEN): National PE network for Scotland, hosting community events and journal clubs in collaboration with the Berlin School. Most structurally similar regional peer, including a peer-learning/community-of-practice focus.
• Centre for Public Engagement, University of Cambridge: University-wide hub coordinating PE and supporting researchers at Cambridge. An existing collaboration partner in the Collaborative Futures Academy with directly comparable researcher-training and culture-change services.
• Wissenschaft im Dialog: Berlin-based non-profit that initiates dialogue between research and society, running formats such as Science Year and the High Patron Award. Most direct German peer in mission, geography, and delivery format.
• EUSEA (European Science Engagement Association): European network of science engagement practitioners, organisers of the EUSEA conference and Ecsite collaborations. Comparable audience of PE practitioners across multiple countries and overlapping topics (engagement training, evaluation, policy).
• National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE): UK's leading public engagement training and recognition body based at the University of Bristol, supporting universities to embed PE and awarding the Engage Watermark. Directly comparable mission and structure to the Berlin School's Training Portfolio and institutional consultation services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berlin-school-of-public-engagement

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Berlin School of Public Engagement and Open Science