Learning From National Science Center Initiatives

Within the last two decades an array of new science centers projects, dealing with the enhancement of public understanding of science and the humanities were set up by public initiatives, such as the UK millennium commission, or the Chinese government. Nowadays, there are new endeavors of this kind in the Middle East and Turkey, while China carries on setting up centers in all major cities of the cast nation.

It has been said of the UK millennium science center projects, that „more than half the projects have either closed, opened late or encountered serious problems“. Capital budgets are not met, the objectives are missed, constant operational struggles and financial instabilities are too often the on-going frustrating reality. Indeed, most have encountered serious operational problems, however, today they have gained stability.

Why is that so, and what are the secrets of those projects that were set up successfully, and their operations are solid? What can the new initiatives learn from them and what is the role these professional for-profit service suppliers, such as consultants, designers and fabricators, that constantly trundle from one project to another? They gather information and experience while accomplishing their work, and they should know how to improve the quality of projects and increase the success rate. This session should give representatives of the commercial suppliers - consultants in planning, design and financial control - a chance to say their truths, and help potential new projects to avoid pitfalls.