Technopolis in Mechelen, Belgium

Technopolis was a fun stop - I had planned to spend only a portion of a day there, but once inside, my visit quickly expanded into nearly two full days.

First, a bit about Belgium. The country is divided into very distinct halves, with the northern part (Flanders) speaking Flemish and the southern part speaking French. Technopolis is the only science center in Flanders and it both draws from and provides outreach to the entire region, which measures roughly 150 km E-W by 100 km N-S. The center is located between Antwerp and Brussels.

Technopolis opened in 2000 and has hosted a relatively consistent 250,000 annual visitors ever since. The project was the brainchild of Erik Jacquemyn, who began public science programming in 1985 and remains as the center’s director. Early on, the center decided not to group exhibits by subjects (physics, astronomy, electricity, optics, etc. ) or by themes (energy, communications, transportation, health) but instead created a series of flexible umbrella-like areas. One of these, called “Structures,” embraces exhibits in areas such as mechanics (structure of buildings) and DNA (structure of life). Another area called “Invisible” includes things difficult to see, such as electricity, microscopic things, and the ubiquitous Mindball exhibit, in which visitors relax their way to victory by creating more alpha waves, thereby sending a small ball rolling to the opposing visitor.

Technopolis unabashedly employs the Trojan Horse approach to public understanding of science: engaging visitors with fun, attractive, sometimes theatrical experiences and leaving them with a deeper understanding of science. Using a strong base of both science and performance, the center houses a colorful, attractive collection of exhibits from all over the world as well as many from its own extensive shop. The exhibits are highly interactive and arranged for maximum group interaction. One long wall of the museum is glass, providing lots of natural light which, in combination with carpeted floors, creates a visitor-friendly environment.

The exhibits include a number of standard Exploratorium favorites but also a number of original creations. Technopolis also creates and tours its own temporary exhibitions, such as one on “Health and Happiness” that is due to ship out later this year. This exhibition included dozens of interactive stations, all linked via bar coded wrist-bands to individual visitors. At the stations, visitors can measure the heart rate, test their math reasoning skills, evaluate their diet, and measure their flexibility before printing a color certificate with their individual results.

A new children’s venue, targeting 4-8 year olds, houses a colorful and highly interactive set of activities. In one area, visitor can have their picture taken and then print a sheet of Technopolis play money in various denominations with their face on each bill. Nearby stations include a counterfeit station that allows visitors to look at real Euro bills under a black light (a specific portion of each bill changes color) and a magnifier (letters in one word on each bill are themselves made up of tiny letters). Families are encouraged to talk about what would happen if everyone could print their own money.

Science theater is alive and well at Technopolis. As one staff member put it, “You have to be a performer to work here.” I watched an auditorium show, a Van de Graaff generator show, an object theater (“automatic”) show, and a mime doing science for young children and their families to the music of a nearby boom box. In almost all cases, the materials used in the activities were common, everyday things, and except for the mime, the phenomena were followed by clear explanations that related the observations to everyday life. Presenters were enthusiastic and dramatic in their presentations in a way that I found highly engaging.






Outreach is a strong part of Technopolis. Programs include: 1) a mobile science van that travels to schools, unfolds into a portable lab, and presents a highly tailored program for 30 students at a time that supports the 11th grade curriculum; 2) science puppet theatrical performances; 3) a van that goes to schools; 4) participation in public events; 5) much more.

Public relations and marketing are a strong component of this center. Their logo appears on everything, from exhibit signage to printed materials to their website, and a recent survey showed that 84% of all Flemish Belgians recognize the Technopolis brand (a remarkable accomplishment within 6 years of opening).


An outdoor science park has about a dozen exhibits, including this wooden xylophone.

The center has decided that it should address the issue of climate change, but that interactive exhibits are a difficult medium for the topic (in part because they take a long time and budget to develop). So Technopolis has opted for a programmatic approach that includes: 1) hosting a session by one of Al Gore’s ambassadors; 2) purchase of a “Magic Planet” exhibit with environmental graphics; 3) setting up a kiosk for visitors to read current articles on climate change; 4) taking part in world-side events (a public ice-science demonstration during the Live Earth concert in July; 5) serving as a venue for the new world-wide global warming DECIDE game, to be played on October 4); 6) providing support on connecting with the public for a series of 10 special science sections in a major Belgian newspaper, each of which will run 12 pages and which will include information on climate change.

Technopolis is high-tech in its internal systems, well-organized, and forward thinking. I was particularly impressed with the center’s big-picture outlook on opportunities for world-wide collaboration on projects related to public understanding of science and technology, including ASTC’s IGLO (International action on GLObal warming) project, transnational roundtables for professional development, and fostering the development of both regional and international museum networks.