STICHTING DISCOVERY MUSEUM

Their core work

Discovery Museum is a Dutch interactive science centre based in Kerkrade that makes science and technology accessible to the public through hands-on exhibitions, science cafés, and community programming. In European research projects, they contribute two distinct capabilities: as a physical venue and host for pan-European science communication activities (traveling exhibitions, public events), and as a practitioner of co-design — bringing real citizens and communities into the design of science and innovation processes. Their shift from hosting exhibitions (SPARKS) to actively co-designing science policy instruments (SISCODE) signals a maturing role in the European science engagement ecosystem. For consortium partners, they provide a tested public interface and legitimacy with non-expert audiences that laboratory and university partners cannot easily replicate.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the 2015–2018 period, Discovery Museum operated as a science communication venue: hosting exhibitions, running science cafés and science shops, and giving public audiences a window into health technology and frugal innovation. By 2018–2021 the focus shifted from informing publics to involving them — the museum became a co-design practitioner, contributing to how science policy itself is shaped through prototyping and co-creation ecosystems. The trajectory is a clear move from outward communication toward inward participation: from "we show the public what science is doing" to "we help shape what science does next."

Discovery Museum is evolving from a science communication venue into a participatory design partner for research and innovation policy — making them increasingly relevant for projects that need structured citizen involvement, not just public outreach.

How they like to work

Discovery Museum has never led an H2020 project — they join as a participant or third party, contributing a specific functional role rather than driving the consortium agenda. Despite only two projects, they have accumulated 46 unique partners across 30 countries, which reflects the large-consortium character of RIA and CSA projects in the Society pillar rather than a tight recurring network. For potential partners, this means they are accessible as a specialist contributor who brings public-facing legitimacy and co-design expertise without competing for the coordinator role.

Despite a small project portfolio, Discovery Museum has touched 46 unique consortium partners across 30 countries — a footprint typical of large Society-pillar consortia with many European science centres and civic organisations. Their network is broad and geographically diverse rather than deep with repeat partners.

What sets them apart

Discovery Museum offers something rare in research consortia: a functioning public venue with an established community audience, capable of both hosting pan-European activities and running genuine co-design processes with non-expert citizens. Unlike university science communication units, they are an independent cultural institution with operational credibility on the museum floor. For any project needing to demonstrate meaningful public or citizen involvement — particularly under Responsible Research and Innovation or Open Science requirements — they provide both the method and the real-world setting.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SISCODE
  The museum's only directly funded H2020 project (EUR 231,250), where they moved beyond venue hosting into active co-design research, contributing to how EU science and innovation policy is shaped through co-creation ecosystems.
• SPARKS
  A pan-European RIA project that deployed the museum as one of many Science Centres and Museums for a traveling exhibition on frugal innovation and health technology, demonstrating their role in large-scale science communication networks.