- Collaboration between institutions and the private sector has promoted the new center, located in the old Cosmocaixa
- It houses the widest collection of scientific and technological heritage and various activities for social participation
- The exhibition, with 3,000 m2 and 500 pieces, opens its doors from tomorrow and admission is free
The Vice President of the Government, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, the Minister of Economy and Competitiveness, Luis de Guindos, and the Mayor of Alcobendas, Ignacio García de Vinuesa, today inaugurated the new headquarters of the National Museum of Science and Technology (MUNCYT) in Alcobendas (Madrid).
The agreement between the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, the City of Alcobendas and the Obra Social “la Caixa” has allowed the museum to be moved from its previous location, in a building of the Madrid Railway Museum, to a space that allows an exhibition to be exhibited Much more extensive than the collection of scientific and technological heritage, MUNCYT is therefore an example of the importance of collaboration between institutions and with the private sector.
The Alcobendas MUNCYT building, whose headquarters are in La Coruña, is an open, dynamic and innovative social center that aims to bring science closer to society. To do this, it has two tools: the museum space itself, which will bring together the most relevant national scientific heritage, and a program of activities to invite social participation in science, from camps and workshops that encourage curiosity and interest of the children to scientific meetings and conferences.
The building –which housed Cosmocaixa- has been loaned by the Alcobendas city council. It has the financial support of the Obra Social “la Caixa”, which will allocate 1.8 million euros over the next three years to boost the programming and exhibitions of the new center. La Caixa has also transferred part of the content that was exhibited in the permanent room of the previous center and will offer its traveling exhibitions, aimed at promoting and disseminating scientific knowledge.
The new headquarters has more than 3,000 m2 of exhibition that house more than 500 pieces of our historical and scientific heritage, as well as more than 2,000 m2 of classrooms that will be used for workshops and educational activities.
The museum opens its doors with a temporary exhibition, “Biotechnology. Quality of life ”, within the commemoration of the Year of Biotechnology in Spain. The objective of this exhibition is to bring biotechnological knowledge and its multiple applications to everyday life in a simple, enjoyable and rigorous way. It places special emphasis on the research being carried out in Spain in this area.
The museum will open its doors starting tomorrow, December 12. Access is free. The first activity will take place on Saturday and Sunday: A "Wikimaratón", a workshop aimed at increasing the content and quality of information on Spanish scientists, technologists and innovators, and increasing the number of publishers in our languages on Wikipedia.
More information on the MUNCYT website: www.muncyt.es
