National Museum of Science and Technology and Stora Enso build Stockholm’s smartest wooden building

STORA ENSO OYJ PRESS RELEASE, 13 February 2019, 09:00 EET 

With Stora Enso as the principal partner and donations of SEK 85 million, Tekniska Museet – Sweden’s National Museum of Science and Technology – is mustering forces to create a digital, interactive learning and test environment for scientific communication: Wisdome. This is one of the single most important initiatives at the National Museum of Science and Technology since it was founded almost 100 years ago. An innovative, sustainable new wood building is to be erected for the purpose.

Using state-of-the-art Swedish visualisation technology, Wisdome will surround visitors with projections and take them on a journey farther away, closer in and deeper down than anyone has ever been before – experiences that will help the visitor to see and understand connections that are otherwise hard to perceive.

“We need new ways of understanding how the world works, and we must inspire and provoke curiosity if we are to deal with the global challenges of the future. We want to create a place that brings research and innovative ideas from the academic and business worlds together with the general public, and gets children and young people involved in building their own future,” says Peter Skogh, Museum Director at The Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology.

Sweden is a world leader in the visualisation of large amounts of data. Wisdome will involve talent and technology found in only a few places worldwide. This includes sophisticated laser projectors, audio systems and sufficient processor power to transform the latest research data into interactive journeys – journeys where visitors themselves can be involved in steering their own path through galaxies and dizzying special effects, and down to the tiniest molecular level.

Stockholm’s smartest building – a signature building made of massive wood
Wisdome is expected to be finished in late 2021 or early 2022, and will be in a brand-new building next to the Museum of Science and Technology in the National City Park, in Djurgården, Stockholm. To inspire innovation and promote a sustainable future, the entire construction will be made of massive wood. The Museum is therefore initiating a new collaboration with forest industry company Stora Enso, who will contribute expertise and sustainable wood products.

“Wood is a building material that’s all about innovation and the future, but also one that tells the story of our past. We are delighted to be involved in the Museum of Science and Technology’s efforts to inspire children and young people, and to be providing the most sustainable building material around for a signature building in Stockholm. We aim to create a finished structure that pushes the boundaries and shows what can be achieved with the building material of the future. We want our wood products to be used sustainably, innovatively and cost effectively, so this will be the smartest building in Stockholm,” says Per Lyrvall, Country Manager Sweden at Stora Enso.

SEK 85 million for world-class scientific communication
The donation of SEK 85 million (EUR 8 million) which has made the Wisdome project possible has been made by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the Erling-Persson Family Foundation and the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation, as well as the Stora Fund and forest industry company Stora Enso, which are museum affiliates.

The Wisdome project 
Wisdome will be a digital, interactive learning and test environment for scientific communication. Wisdome is a collaboration between Sweden’s five leading science centres: Science Center Malmö Museer, Universeum in Gothenburg, Umevatoriet in Umeå, the National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm, and the main coordinating centre Norrköping Visualization Center-C. Also, connected to the project are ten or so universities and scientific environments with expertise in research, technology, application and didactics. The Wisdome project was created through a jubilee donation from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation in 2017 

The National Museum of Science and Technology
The Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology aims to enhance the public’s and particularly young people’s interest in science and technology in a joyful, inspiring way. The Museum also has a national charter to preserve Sweden’s technological and industrial cultural heritage. The National Museum of Science and Technology is Sweden’s biggest technical museum, welcoming 323 399 visitors in 2018.

Link to a video: https://youtu.be/5ItbtaDEbOM

For further information, please contact:
Sara Kvarfordh
Communications Manager Sweden
Stora Enso
Tel. +46 70 234 45 90
sara.kvarfordh@storaenso.com

Calle Ros-Pehrson,
Press Officer
The Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology,
tel: +46 8 450 57 10
calle.ros-pehrson@tekniskamuseet.se

Part of the bioeconomy, Stora Enso is a leading global provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wooden constructions and paper. We believe that everything that is made from fossil-based materials today can be made from a tree tomorrow. Stora Enso has some 26 000 employees in over 30 countries. Our sales in 2018 were EUR 10.5 billion. Stora Enso shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki (STEAV, STERV) and Nasdaq Stockholm (STE A, STE R). In addition, the shares are traded in the USA as ADRs (SEOAY). storaenso.com 

STORA ENSO OYJ 

For further information, please contact:
Sara Kvarfordh
Communications Manager Sweden
Stora Enso 
Tel. +46 70 234 45 90
sara.kvarfordh@storaenso.com

Calle Ros-Pehrson, 
Press Officer
The Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology, 
tel: +46 8 450 57 10
calle.ros-pehrson@tekniskamuseet.se