Nuclio - Nucleo Interactivo De Astronomia E Inovacao Em Educacao

What Nuclio - Nucleo Interactivo De Astronomia E Inovacao Em Educacao does

NUCLIO - Núcleo Interativo de Astronomia e Inovação em Educação is a Portuguese non-profit educational organization headquartered in Arneiro, Portugal, founded in 2001 with 11-50 employees. Its core function is coordinating teacher professional development, international educational projects, and science outreach across Portugal and Europe, with a focus on astronomy, STEAM, and innovation in education. The organization is the worldwide coordinator of the Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP), co-hosts the Global Hands-on Universe (GHOU) conference, coordinates Science on Stage Portugal and the Portuguese Language Office of Astronomy for Development (PLOAD), and is a CCPFC-certified Portuguese training entity.

The product portfolio spans certified teacher training courses (national and international), AI-enhanced learning platforms (Astro-Journeys with generative AI and robotic telescopes; Discovery Space with an AI Deeper Learning Classroom), citizen science (IASC Asteroid Search Campaigns producing three officially named asteroids: Lusitano, Fado, 2012 KD19), DIY cardboard planetariums (D.O.M.E.), and analog space exploration missions (EXPLORE-1 and EXPLORE-2 at the Alqueva Lake Observatory in partnership with the Austrian Space Forum). Additional programs cover geotechnologies in education (GEO-Academy), climate citizenship (CliC-PoLiT), service-learning (EARN), and sustainability (BRIDGES, STEMMOS, OTTERS), supported by partnerships with ESA, COSPAR, Ellinogermaniki Agogi, Science on Stage Europe, and numerous EU universities.

NUCLIO's business model is grant-and-fee based rather than commercial: revenue is generated primarily through EU-funded Erasmus+ project grants (in which NUCLIO acts as coordinator or partner across 20+ active consortia), accredited training course fees under Portuguese CCPFC certification, event and conference participation, and donations via the NUCLIO Trust charitable vehicle. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging international summer schools, conferences, and Science on Stage festivals as demand-generation channels. Customer segments are individual teachers, students, schools/school clusters, and the general public, with no commercial enterprise customers or paid SaaS distribution.

Name

Nuclio - Nucleo Interactivo De Astronomia E Inovacao Em Educacao

Legal name

NUCLIO - Núcleo Interativo de Astronomia e Inovação em Educação

Website

https://nuclio.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NUCLIO is a Portuguese non-profit educational organization founded in 2001 that coordinates teacher training, international STEAM and astronomy education projects, and science outreach across Portugal and Europe through EU-funded Erasmus+ consortia and CCPFC-certified courses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Earth Science & Geoscience Programs (EDAMABAI), Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK)

Keywords

• Astronomy education
• Teacher professional development
• STEAM curriculum programs
• Science outreach services
• Educational project coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

São Domingos De Rana

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Development and Training Services: NUCLIO operates as a CCPFC-certified training entity (entidade formadora) in Portugal, delivering accredited teacher training courses. Revenue is generated through certified course fees for national and international professional development programs.
2. EU-Funded Project Coordination: NUCLIO coordinates and participates in multiple Erasmus+ and EU-funded educational projects, generating operational funding through project grants. Projects include GEO-Academy, EXPLORE, L-STEAM, SPHERE, D.O.M.E., Open Teach C-HUB, Exo4Edu, Discovery Space, Astro-Journeys, SYNAPSES, BRIDGES, STEMMOS, OTTERS, SoundScapes, EARN, CliC-PoLiT, StAnD, and others.
3. Science Outreach and Event Organization: NUCLIO organizes science outreach activities, international conferences (GHOU), summer schools, and educational events, potentially generating revenue through event fees and institutional partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NUCLIO is a Portuguese non-profit educational organization that delivers CCPFC-certified teacher training courses, coordinates pan-European educational projects (primarily Erasmus+ funded), and organizes science outreach activities centered on astronomy, space science, and STEAM education. It runs flagship programs including the Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP), Global Hands-on Universe (GHOU) conference, Science on Stage Portugal, analog space missions (EXPLORE), citizen science campaigns (IASC), and AI-enhanced learning platforms (Discovery Space, Astro-Journeys, GEO-Academy).

Product overview

NUCLIO is an educational organization certified by Portuguese CCPFC offering a comprehensive portfolio of science education products and services. The core offerings include certified teacher training courses (national and international via GTTP), analog space exploration programs (EXPLORE project with Mars missions), astronomy education tools (D.O.M.E. DIY planetariums, IASC Asteroid Search Campaigns), AI-enhanced learning platforms (Discovery Space, Astro-Journeys), environmental education (CliC-PoLiT, GEO-Academy), and professional development events (Science on Stage festivals, GHOU conferences). These products work together to provide end-to-end STEM education solutions from teacher training to student hands-on learning experiences, supported by community initiatives like NUCLIO Trust and Change Makers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NUCLIO Trust: Charitable trust for fundraising and donations supporting education initiatives
• Change Makers
• Science on Stage Portugal

Products and services

• Teacher Training Courses (Formação) CCPFC-certified professional development courses for in-service and pre-service teachers covering cutting-edge methodologies and digital tools in STEM/STEAM education. Includes national and international training formats.
• EXPLORE Project (Analog Space Missions) Expeditionary Program for Learning OppoRtunities in Analog Space Exploration providing immersive STEM activities simulating Mars/Moon environments through multi-day analog space missions for secondary school students.
• D.O.M.E. (Design your Own Multimedia Learning Environment) DIY cardboard planetarium building project using a STEAM approach, empowering students aged 11+ to construct functional planetariums and create their own multimedia presentations.
• IASC Asteroid Search Campaigns Citizen science program distributing telescope images to schools for asteroid detection by students using Astrometrica software, contributing to planetary defense efforts and producing official Minor Planet Center designations.
• Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP) International teacher training program coordinated worldwide by NUCLIO providing professional development opportunities for teachers in astronomy education tools and methodologies, in partnership with ESA and national astronomy institutions.
• GEO-Academy Erasmus+ project empowering teachers to incorporate Geospatial Information Systems (GIS), Earth Observation (EO), Remote Sensing (RS) and Geospatial Storytelling in sustainability education through free training modules and resources.
• Science on Stage Portugal National festival for science education innovation coordinated by NUCLIO, selecting Portuguese teacher projects for the biennial European Science on Stage festival.
• Global Hands-on Universe (GHOU) Conference International astronomy education conference program co-hosted by NUCLIO connecting educators, researchers, and science enthusiasts globally through hands-on astronomy education.
• Discovery Space AI-enhanced Deeper Learning Classroom in STEM project introducing inquiry-based learning experiences supported by artificial intelligence through an interactive learning scenarios platform featuring the Trust AI Lab.
• Astro-Journeys Interdisciplinary Erasmus+ astronomy project using AI and robotic telescopes for personalized learning journeys, grounded in the Big Ideas of Astronomy framework.
• Portuguese Language Office of Astronomy for Development (PLOAD) Portuguese language office for astronomy development initiatives and outreach coordinated by NUCLIO to extend astronomy education to Portuguese-speaking countries.
• CliC-PoLiT (Climate Citizenship - Policy Learning in Transformation) Erasmus+ project engaging students in climate change activities, supporting sustainability and responsible citizenship education.
• EARN (Exploratory Activities to Research Real Needs) Erasmus+ service-learning project enabling students to explore real community needs and develop civic engagement through collaborative activities with German and Portuguese school partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Three asteroids discovered and officially named: Lusitano (2012 FF25), Fado (2017 BF79), and 2012 KD19 through the IASC citizen science program.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

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

• Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNUCLIO coordinates the worldwide Galileo Teacher Training Program, a global network providing professional development for teachers in astronomy education tools and methodologies. GTTP partners include ESA, national astronomy institutions, and education ministries globally.
• Global Hands-on Universe (GHOU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNUCLIO co-hosts the Global Hands-on Universe conference and serves as a key organizational partner, connecting educators, researchers, and science enthusiasts globally through hands-on astronomy education.
• European Space Agency (ESA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNUCLIO partners with ESA for the ESA/GTTP annual training program held at ESAC facilities in Spain, combining ESA mission data with teacher professional development in astronomy and space science.
• Austrian Space Forum (OeWF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNUCLIO partners with the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF) in the EXPLORE project, conducting analog Mars missions at the Alqueva Lake Observatory. OeWF provides AMADEE program operational expertise.
• Ellinogermaniki Agogi (EA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreek school Ellinogermaniki Agogi is a key partner in multiple NUCLIO-coordinated projects including EXPLORE, ESIA, D.O.M.E., and SPHERE, contributing to European school innovation in STEAM education.
• Committee on Space Research (COSPAR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOSPAR partners with NUCLIO in the EXPLORE project and NUCLIO's president Rosa Doran chairs the COSPAR Panel on Education, coordinating educational activities at COSPAR Assemblies.
• Alqueva Lake Observatory (OLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOLA provides the venue for EXPLORE analog Mars missions and hosts the Monsaraz Analog Research Station (M.A.R.S.), with its director Leonel Godinho collaborating on space analog educational programs.
• Science on Stage EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNUCLIO coordinates Science on Stage Portugal, the national branch of Science on Stage Europe, selecting and sending teacher projects to the biennial European festival. Liliana Fernandes serves on the Science on Stage Europe Board.
• Instituto Superior Técnico – Taguspark (IST)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIST's Oeiras Campus hosted the National Science on Stage Festival 2025 and the OTTERS conference, providing facilities and institutional support for NUCLIO events.
• Municipality of OeirasmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Municipality of Oeiras supports NUCLIO events including the Science on Stage festival and Oeiras Valley Science Festival, providing financial support and venue access.
• GEO-Academy ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNUCLIO is a partner in the GEO-Academy Erasmus+ project (June 2023 - June 2026) alongside NTUA (coordination), Lund University, University of Coimbra, Eurisy, Cyprus Pedagogical Institute, University College of Teacher Education Tyrol, European University Cyprus, Austrian Space Forum, Spotln, and Professional Forum for Education. The project develops geotechnologies in education.
• L-STEAM Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNUCLIO organizes the L-STEAM Summer School connecting science with performing arts, partnering with educators from Portugal, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, and Polónia for interdisciplinary STEAM education.
• SPHERE Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNUCLIO organizes the SPHERE Summer School training teachers in analog space mission methodology, partnering with educators from Austria, Germany, Greece, Poland, and Portugal.
• D.O.M.E. ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerD.O.M.E. (Design your Own Multimedia Learning Environment) is an Erasmus+ project co-funded by the EU with partners including NUCLIO, Blackrock Castle Observatory (Ireland), and Ellinogermaniki Agogi (Greece), enabling students to build DIY cardboard planetariums.
• EARN Project ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEARN (Exploratory Activities to Research Real Needs) is an Erasmus+ Small-scale Partnership with partners including Montessori Schule Landau (Germany), Stiftung Lernen durch Engagement (Germany), NUCLIO, and Agrupamento de Escolas Frei Gonçalo de Azevedo (Portugal), focusing on service-learning methodologies.
• CliC-PoLiT Project ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCliC-PoLiT (Climate Citizenship - Policy Learning in Transformation) is an Erasmus+ project engaging students in climate change activities, developed with international education partners.
• Exo4Edu ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExo4Edu brings exoplanet science to secondary schools through teacher training and educational resources, with NUCLIO participating in summer schools and workshops across Europe.
• Open Teach C-HUB ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpen Teach C-HUB creates a collaborative space for Open Educational Resources and Practices, with NUCLIO contributing to training courses and workshops for teachers.
• Discovery Space ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiscovery Space introduces AI-enhanced deeper learning in STEM through inquiry-based approaches, with NUCLIO organizing implementation sessions for Portuguese physics teachers.
• Astro-Journeys ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAstro-Journeys is an Erasmus+ project developing personalized astronomy learning journeys using AI and robotic telescopes, with partners from Portugal, France, Germany, Greece, and Spain.
• Portuguese Language Office of Astronomy for Development (PLOAD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNUCLIO coordinates PLOAD, the Portuguese Language Office of Astronomy for Development, extending astronomy education to Portuguese-speaking countries.
• European School Innovation Academy (ESIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESIA organizes international training courses and summer schools for teachers across Europe, with NUCLIO as a key partner participating in multiple annual programs.
• INESC-IDmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINESC-ID (Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores, Investigação e Desenvolvimento em Lisboa) supports NUCLIO events including Science on Stage Portugal and Engineering for All.
• StAnD (Stand) Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStAnD focuses on meteors, asteroids, and Planetary Defense through engaging STEAM activities, with NUCLIO participating in training sessions and student workshops.
• OTTERS ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOTTERS integrates citizen science in education through co-creation processes related to aquatic ecosystems, with NUCLIO organizing the Spring School and Waves of Change conference.
• SoundScapes ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoundScapes project focuses on data sonification for science communication, with NUCLIO organizing workshops teaching conversion of scientific data into sound.
• University of CoimbramajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Coimbra is a partner in the GEO-Academy project, contributing academic expertise in geotechnologies and sustainable development education.
• BRIDGES Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRIDGES promotes Sustainability Citizenship through Whole School approach and Open Schooling, with NUCLIO participating in international courses for school directors and teachers.
• STEMMOS Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEMMOS focuses on Earth, Moon, and Mars Observation through remote sensing and rover activities, with NUCLIO participating in summer schools and teacher training.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ellinogermaniki Agogi: Greek private school and educational R&D organization that partners with NUCLIO on EXPLORE, ESIA, D.O.M.E., and SPHERE. Operates a similar portfolio of EU STEAM projects and teacher training programs across Europe, making it the closest functional peer.
• Austrian Space Forum (OeWF): Runs the AMADEE analog Mars missions program and partners with NUCLIO on the EXPLORE project. Comparable in running student-facing space analog programs but with a stronger aerospace research orientation.
• European School Innovation Academy (ESIA): Network organizing international teacher training summer schools across Europe with a STEAM focus. Shares project consortia with NUCLIO and operates the same teacher PD and curriculum innovation model.
• Blackrock Castle Observatory: Irish science outreach center and co-partner with NUCLIO on the D.O.M.E. planetarium project. Similar hands-on astronomy education programming for schools and families, with comparable scale and mission.
• Universe Awareness (UNAWE): International astronomy education program for underprivileged children, formerly hosted at Leiden University. Closely comparable mission in using astronomy to inspire young learners across multiple countries.
• Science on Stage Europe: Pan-European teacher festival network that NUCLIO's Portugal branch feeds into. Operates the same model of national-to-European STEM teaching competitions and teacher exchange; functions as NUCLIO's upstream platform.

Emerging players

• Faulkes Telescope Project: Provides free access to robotic telescopes for schools and students globally, similar to NUCLIO's IASC and Astro-Journeys offerings. Smaller in scale but with overlapping hands-on astronomy education use cases.

Broad incumbents

• National Space Centre (UK): UK-based space science education center operating school programs, teacher training, and public exhibitions. Larger institution with similar STEAM/space education focus and a more commercial revenue model.
• European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO): ESA's primary education arm that runs teacher training programs using space as a context for STEM across European countries. Directly comparable in mission but with much larger institutional backing and broader country coverage.
• Ciência Viva: Portuguese national agency for scientific and technological culture that funds science outreach and education programs nationally. Operates in the same geography and educational mission space but with public-sector scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@nuclio-org
• Facebookfacebook.com/nuclio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nuclio-pt
• Instagraminstagram.com/nuclio_pt

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Nuclio - Nucleo Interactivo De Astronomia E Inovacao Em Educacao