INTERVIEW


Ecsite president Michiel Buchel has been at NEMO since 2003


Michiel Buchel


The head of NEMO, the Netherlands’ biggest science centre and newly


appointed Ecsite president, looks at how the sector can work with others to wield greater infl uence in global matters Alice Davis, managing editor, Attractions Management


NEMO, shaped like a ship and designed by architect Renzo Piano


N 24 attractionsmanagement.com


ewly elected president of Ecsite, Michiel Buchel, says science centres are growing up. “The fi eld is becoming more mature,” he claims.


The Dutchman, who is CEO of NEMO, the largest science centre in the Netherlands, is extremely optimistic about the sector. “Although we’re maturing, we’re still a relatively young industry,” he says. (NEMO has existed since 1997, compared to the Artis Royal Zoo – also in Amsterdam – and founded in 1838.) “But I think the impact and the role of science centres will grow enormously in the coming decades.” Science centres are entering a new


era, armed to battle many contemporary challenges, and now the young industry has found its feet, it’s demonstrating it has the will to do battle, too. In the past, science centres have often


been overlooked for public sector funding. They’ve had to innovate constantly to be ahead of the game – and although that demands investment, it’s been hard for them to monetise their offers. But many countries are dealing with the socioeconomic consequences of having neglected STEM subjects, and science centres are beginning to capitalise on this. Too few people have been choosing to study


AM 3 2015 ©CYBERTREK 2015


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104