ScienceCenter NETZWERK

What ScienceCenter NETZWERK does

Verein ScienceCenter-Netzwerk is an Austrian nonprofit association (Verein) founded on August 16, 2005, headquartered in Vienna's 3rd district at Landstraßer Hauptstraße 71/1/309. It functions as the national competence center for interactive science communication in Austria, coordinating a nationwide network of approximately 200 partner organizations spanning education, research, art, culture, museums, and science mediation across all nine federal states. Its flagship operation is the Wissens°raum (Knowledge°room), a pop-up Science Center concept launched in 2013 that transforms vacant commercial premises into free, hands-on learning environments; the format rotated through eight Vienna neighborhoods before consolidating into a permanent site at Reinprechtsdorfer Straße 1c in Vienna's Margareten district in October 2018.

The organization's core technology is its proprietary Science-Center-Aktivitäten framework, which specifies criteria for science engagement activities — interactive hands-on or minds-on, self-determined learning, no prior knowledge required, playful, and offering impulses for further thinking — together with modular exhibit stations covering topics such as climate, sustainability, digital fabrication (3D printing, digital embroidery), and tinkering. Supplementary programs include the DIGI-Werkstatt for digital making, STEMix for gender equity in STEM, Vermittlungswerkstatt for science communicator training, and discussion games (Diskussionsspiele) addressing societal topics. Product/service extensions include Beratung & Konzeption (fee-based consulting for organizations developing science centers) and rotating themed exhibitions, exemplified by the Expedition Nachhaltigkeit exhibition opened in May 2026.

Revenue is generated entirely through grants and sponsorships rather than earned income from visitors. Core funding flows from Austrian federal ministries (BMBWF, BMFWF, BMK), the City of Vienna (Stadt Wien, Wien Holding, Wirtschaftsagentur Wien), Austrian chambers (AK Österreich, WKO Österreich, Industriellenvereinigung), and private sponsors (Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein, AVL, Erste Bank, OMV). Project-based EU co-funding flows through consortia such as PISEA, Hypatia, Tinkering EU, and HEIRRI. Pricing for Wissens°raum visitors is free (Eintritt frei); consulting and conceptualization services for institutional clients (museums, municipalities, corporations) are fee-based though rates are not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is community-led, anchored in network meetings (Netzwerktreffen), working groups (Arbeitskreise), public events such as the Lange Nacht der Forschung, and earned media rather than paid advertising.

Name

ScienceCenter NETZWERK

Legal name

Verein ScienceCenter-Netzwerk

Website

https://science-center-net.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ScienceCenter NETZWERK is an Austrian nonprofit association coordinating a nationwide network of approximately 200 partners and operating the Wissens°raum pop-up Science Centers in Vienna, delivering free, hands-on and dialog-oriented science communication to the general public, educators, and migrant communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Informal Science Education

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Informal science education
• Interactive science exhibits
• Pop-up science center
• Science communication training
• Science engagement consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional Grants and Public Funding: Core funding from Austrian federal ministries (BMBWF, BMFWF), municipal government (Stadt Wien), and public bodies such as the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK Österreich), the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO Österreich), and the Industrialists' Association (Industriellenvereinigung).
2. Project-Based EU Funding: Co-funding through European projects including EU Framework Programmes (e.g., PISEA, Hypatia, Tinkering EU, HEIRRI), where the association participates as a consortium partner.
3. Private Sponsorship and Donations: Support from private foundations and corporations including Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein, AVL, Erste Bank, OMV, Wien Holding, Wirtschaftsagentur Wien, and others who co-finance specific projects and the Wissens°raum pop-up centers.
4. Advisory and Consultation Services: Fee-for-service consulting and conceptualization for organizations developing Science Center activities or spaces, leveraging the association's extensive experience and national/international good practice knowledge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ScienceCenter NETZWERK operates free, pop-up Science Centers (Wissens°raum) in vacant Vienna storefronts, offering hands-on interactive science and technology engagement for the general public. It coordinates an Austria-wide network of approximately 200 partner organizations from education, research, culture, and museums, and delivers professional training, consulting, and conceptualization services to institutions developing science communication programs.

Product overview

ScienceCenter-Netzwerk is the Austrian competence center for interactive science communication, operating as a non-profit association (Verein) that connects hands-on and dialog-oriented science education with the goal of bringing people into contact with science and technology. The organization operates a portfolio of programs including the core Wissens°raum (Knowledge°room) pop-up Science Centers that transform vacant retail spaces into hands-on learning environments, coordinates the Austria-wide ScienceCenter-Netzwerk partnership network of over 200 organizations, and delivers supplementary services including DIGI-Werkstatt for digital skills, STEMix for gender equity in STEM, Vermittlungswerkstatt for methods training, and Science-Engagement-Kompetenzen for research communication skills. Additional offerings include consulting services (Beratung & Konzeption), professional development training (Fortbildungen & Lehre), and rotating exhibitions such as Expedition Nachhaltigkeit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wissens°raum: Pop-up Science Center concept that transforms vacant commercial spaces into interactive hands-on learning environments for science and technology engagement, open to all ages with free admission.

Quantifiable outcome

• Österreichischer Staatspreis für Erwachsenenbildung 2024 — 'Stärkung des Vertrauens in Wissenschaft und Demokratie' for project 'Und mittendrin, die Wissenschaft'
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stadt Wien (City of Vienna)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006The City of Vienna, through its various departments (Wien Kultur, Wien Holding), is a primary public funder of the association's core operations and the Wissens°raum project. The city provides both operational funding and in-kind support for science engagement activities in Vienna.
• Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung (BMBWF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research is a core institutional funder of the association, providing grants for network coordination, training programs, and science communication initiatives.
• Wirtschaftsagentur WiencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVienna's business development agency co-finances the Wissens°raum pop-up Science Center project as part of the city's innovation and entrepreneurship support strategy.
• Bundesministerium für Klimaschutz, Umwelt, Energie, Mobilität, Innovation und Technologie (BMK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore institutional funder of the association's ongoing work and projects, providing federal government support for science communication activities.
• Wien HoldingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA city-owned holding company that supports the Wissens°raum project and other science engagement initiatives as part of Vienna's cultural and educational portfolio.
• EcsitecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Network of Science Centres and Museums. The association co-organised Ecsite 2016 in Graz and its Executive Director Barbara Streicher served as ECSITE Beacon of the Year 2019. Ecsite provides an international platform for the network's activities and knowledge exchange.
• PISEA Consortium (Promoting Intercultural Science Education for Adults)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded multi-year project in which the association served as the Austrian hub. PISEA developed practical resources including a booklet of competences, staff training resources, and a handbook for adult science education institutions, focusing on inclusive science engagement for adult migrants and refugees. The project culminated in an international symposium in Vienna in October 2019.
• Hypatia Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded project focused on attracting girls and young women to science careers. The association participated as an Austrian partner, contributing expertise in inclusive science communication.
• Tinkering EU Consortium (Building Science Capital for All)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU project bringing together tinkering (hands-on technical making) approaches to science education. The association conducted training sessions and incorporated tinkering activities into the Wissens°raum program.
• Volkskundemuseum Wien (Museum of Folk Life and Folk Art)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVienna's Museum of Folk Life and Folk Art served as venue for the 8th Network Meeting on Social Inclusion and the PISEA International Symposium in 2019, hosting the association's events.
• ZOOM KindermuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVienna's children's museum is a network partner contributing to working groups and network meetings focused on social inclusion in science engagement.
• Technisches Museum Wien (Vienna Technical Museum)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork partner and venue for various science engagement activities, including the 'Grenzgenial' travelling exhibition launch in 2009 and collaborative events.
• Wien Energie ErlebnisweltminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVienna Energy Experience World hosted the 65th Network Meeting in 2019 and is a network partner contributing to science engagement activities.
• Ban Ki-moon Foundation WienminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-partner in the 'Expedition Nachhaltigkeit' interactive exhibition (opened 6 May 2026), addressing climate, sustainability, and societal responsibility.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Copernicus Science Centre: Warsaw's flagship interactive science centre and a frequent EU-consortium partner for science-communication projects (Hypatia, HEIRRI). Comparable as a hands-on science engagement institution with strong EU-project participation and a focus on inclusive, dialog-oriented programming.
• Technisches Museum Wien (Vienna Technical Museum): Vienna's flagship science and technology museum and an explicit network partner of ScienceCenter-Netzwerk. Comparable as a hands-on science engagement venue serving Austrian audiences, though operating at significantly larger scale with permanent infrastructure rather than a pop-up model.
• ZOOM Kindermuseum: Vienna's children's museum and a network partner that contributes to working groups on social inclusion in science engagement. Directly comparable as a hands-on, dialog-oriented informal-learning institution serving children and families in the same Vienna market.
• Deutsches Museum (Munich): One of the world's oldest and largest science and technology museums. Comparable as a science-engagement institution, though at vastly larger scale and with permanent infrastructure rather than ScienceCenter-Netzwerk's pop-up, low-cost methodology.
• NEMO Science Museum: Amsterdam's flagship science center, focused on hands-on discovery and public science engagement. Highly comparable in mission and methodology (interactive exhibits, dialog with visitors), though operating a permanent flagship facility rather than a distributed pop-up network.
• Phaeno (Wolfsburg): Wolfsburg's science center designed by Zaha Hadid, focused on spectacular hands-on phenomena experiments. Comparable as a European science center emphasizing interactive engagement, though architectural and operational scale far exceeds ScienceCenter-Netzwerk's lean pop-up model.
• Experimenta (Heilbronn): Germany's largest science center, dedicated to hands-on experimentation across STEM topics. Comparable as a science-engagement institution emphasizing interactive learning, tinkerability, and inclusivity — overlapping strongly with the Wissens°raum methodology.

Broad incumbents

• Science Museum (London): Major established science museum with global brand recognition. Comparable in mission (public science engagement) but operates at vastly larger scale with permanent infrastructure, blockbuster exhibitions, and global tourism reach.
• Exploratorium (San Francisco): Internationally influential science museum that pioneered hands-on, inquiry-based learning formats. Comparable in pedagogical philosophy and format development, but operates as a major permanent institution rather than a distributed pop-up network.

Others

• Ecsite (European Collaborative for Science, Industry and Technology Exhibitions): European network of science centres and museums in which ScienceCenter-Netzwerk is an active member (co-organiser of Ecsite 2016 in Graz). Not a competitor but a peer ecosystem organization that connects science centers and provides the international platform for the network's activities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SCNoffice
• Facebookfacebook.com/Science-Center-Netzwerk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sciencecenter-netzwerk
• Instagraminstagram.com/wissensraum/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 ScienceCenter NETZWERK