Projects

Topics such as sustainability and inclusion are more relevant than ever and present new challenges for heritage institutions. To support the search for innovative ways to address these issues, Museon-Omniversum has joined the Erasmus+ project BACH (Business Acumen and Communication for Heritage).

Museon-Omniversum is part of an international consortium with partners from Malta, the Netherlands, Spain, Greece, and Italy. In the Netherlands, we work together with Quiosq Heritage Projects from Leiden.

BACH has two main objectives: to introduce a new approach to management in the heritage and cultural sector, and to develop training materials in this field. After one and a half years, the project will result in a handbook and a toolkit. These will include a collection of methods for generating business ideas, as well as possible strategies for putting them into practice. Museon-Omniversum was invited to join the consortium because of the strong role that the Sustainable Development Goals play within the organization not only in its programming, but also in its day to day operations.

The Dutch Association of Science Centres (VSC) and its members will work closely on diversity and inclusion in the coming years through the multi-year programme Together Inclusive. The aim is to involve everyone in science and technology. In this way, we contribute to a more inclusive sector and society.

VSC is launching the programme together with its members Beeld en Geluid, Continium, Museon, Natura Docet Wonderryck Twente, Naturalis, NEMO, Oyfo Techniekmuseum, and Rijksmuseum Boerhaave. With support from the Mondriaan Fund, and in collaboration with Ecsite and other partners, we will work and learn together on developing diverse, accessible, and inclusive science museums and science centres.

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Earth’s climate is shaped by many different factors, several dozen in total. ESA, the European Space Agency, collects vast amounts of data on many of these factors through its satellites. This includes information on glaciers, polar ice, wildfires, biomass, ocean colour, permafrost, the ozone layer, surface temperature, land use, sea surface salinity, and more. Because this data now spans many years, it provides valuable insight into how the climate is changing.

This data is already publicly available on a dedicated website: http://cci.esa.int/. However, it is not yet very user-friendly or easy to understand. For this reason, ESA invited a consortium of organisations to explore how the knowledge held by the institute can be shared more effectively. Museon is one of the partners in this consortium, contributing its expertise in public engagement and education.

The consortium is coordinated by Brockmann Consult in Hamburg, a specialist in Earth observation. Other partners include the Deutscher Wetterdienst and the Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation at the University of Twente. We expect the results of this project to become visible in our climate exhibition and climate education programmes in the near future.

In this project, we are exploring the potential of image recognition for natural history collections in the Netherlands. The main focus is accurately identifying species of plants, animals, and fungi within these collections. This process is essential for further applications and analysis of the data. It involves correctly identifying both new and existing collection material. Unidentified specimens are processed automatically, with the computer assisting humans in answering the question: “Which species or object is this?” We also perform analyses on large sets of digitized, already identified collections to detect incorrect or uncertain identifications. This work benefits both collection managers and museum visitors, who can contribute their own observations and natural finds.

The project focuses on at least five promising collections and species groups across natural history museums: Museon and the Rijksmuseum. It builds on pilot projects previously conducted by Naturalis. This initiative paves the way for wider use of image recognition in the Dutch museum sector and in European natural history institutions.

Museon is a partner in the two-year European project REPLAY, carried out within EIT RawMaterials of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. Together with European museums, science centres, and other partners, Museon is developing activities aimed at raising awareness of e-waste and the circular economy.

Stichting Musea en Herinneringscentra '40-'45 (SMH) is a collaboration of fourteen public organisations focused on the Second World War. In the run-up to the 75 Years of Freedom commemoration, SMH launched the programme Education Quality Boost. The aim of this programme was to strengthen the educational quality surrounding the topic of the Second World War.

Through skills development and knowledge exchange both among members and with organisations outside the sector, various guidance documents, educational resources, and reports were produced. These cover areas such as creating exhibitions, working with volunteers, and developing educational materials for schools. All resources are available online for teachers and education professionals.

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Thirteen museums across the Netherlands have joined a national project to promote science education for primary schools. All of these museums hold natural history collections and some are members of the SNNC (Foundation of Dutch Natural History Collections). The group of museums has launched the project Learning Together, aimed at ensuring a high-quality experience for schools visiting museums throughout the country. The results of the first phase are expected this summer.

In addition to Museon, the following institutions are members of the SNNC: Museum TwentseWelle, Natura Docet Wonderryck Twente, Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, Natural History Museum Maastricht, Natural History Museum Rotterdam, Natuurmuseum Brabant, Natuurmuseum Fryslân, Natuurmuseum Nijmegen, Teylers Museum, University Museum Utrecht, Ecomare, and Hortus Botanicus Leiden.

On 22 April, the Mayor of The Hague, Jozias van Aartsen, officially opened the Dutch Innovation Zone at the Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci in Milan. This innovative exhibition was created by Museon as part of the Netherlands’ participation in World Expo 2015.

The exhibition offers visitors an interactive overview of the past, present, and future of the Dutch agrifood sector. It highlights scientific research, smart innovation, and international collaboration are key elements in developing sustainable solutions to global food challenges.

Op 1 februari 2013 startte het vier jaar durende project meSch, Material EncounterS with digital Cultural Heritage, dat erfgoedprofessionals in staat wil stellen om op laagdrempelige manier fysieke interactie met digitale objecten te realiseren. Opkomende technologieën zoals Internet of things, smart objects en adaptive verhaallijnen worden daarbij aangereikt als nieuwe manieren om cross-mediale content te ontsluiten. 

On 1 February 2013, the four year project meSch, Material EncounterS with digital Cultural Heritage was launched. The project aims to help heritage professionals create accessible, hands-on interactions with digital objects. Emerging technologies, such as the Internet of Things, smart objects, and adaptive storytelling, are explored as new ways to present and connect cross-media content.

As a museum of culture and science, Museon serves as both organizer and host of one of the largest international conferences for science communication organizations. The conference takes place from 22 to 24 May 2014 and focuses on the theme PEOPLE, PLANET, PEACE.

Museon participates in World War II in 100 Objects. From 5 February 2014, this exhibition will be on display at the Kunsthal in Rotterdam, giving the war a meaningful and accessible presence for visitors of all ages. The exhibition is a unique collaboration between twenty five Dutch war and resistance museums. Each carefully selected object tells its own story, with countless events behind it that evoke personal memories, emotions, and reflection. Ad van Liempt, a television producer and well known author on World War II, serves as guest curator.