Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Technopolis® will bring a European interactive exhibition and workshops to the open days of the Royal Palace in Brussels.

A. Interactive exhibition and workshops

Each summer since 2006, Technopolis®, the Flemish Science Centre for science and technology in Mechelen, has participated at the open days in the Royal Palace in Brussels with an interactive exhibition and workshops.

Technopolis® persuaded its colleagues, the European science centres, to display their best interactive installations at the Belgian Royal Palace in Brussels during the summer of 2010. Installations from various countries in the European Union have been collected with the help of ECSITE (the European network of science centres and museums, headquartered in Brussels).  

The exhibition is open to the public from 26 July 2010 to 5 September 2010. Approximately 150,000 people from all over the world visit the Palace (and the interactive exhibits) each summer.

The interactive exhibits were selected by Technopolis®, ECSITE (European Network of Science Centres and Museums - a network of 240 members in over 35 European countries) and officials of the Royal Palace. Together, they give an idea of what science centres in Europe have to offer.

The main objective of this exhibition is to stress the importance of science and technology and the role science centres play in that.  

B. Official opening

The exhibition will be officially opened on 20 July 2010 by King Albert II.Around 200 public figures will be invited.  The press will also be well represented.

C. Evening party

An evening party will be held on 2 September. EU officials and senior policy makers and politicians will be invited to this event. 

The participating science centres will, of course, be offered the opportunity to invite their guests both to the official opening and the evening party.