“VILVITE wants to give you experiences that help you to discover things. In other words, there is a real risk of learning something while you're having fun,” promised project manager and museum director, Svein Anders Dahl in his opening speech.

In his opening speech, Per Botolf Maurseth, State Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Research, declared that the centre will be particularly useful in awakening young people’s interest in the sciences.

Good for the City of Knowledge
“That is important, because the sciences are crucial in understanding how the world is inter-connected,” said the State Secretary. He mentioned HIV, drug development and climate change among other examples of challenges that can only be met by people with expertise in the sciences.

UiB’s Vice-Rector for International Relations, Kjersti Fløttum, believes VILVITE will also have positive ripple effects on the research environment in the city.

“We are endeavouring to strengthen research, which means it is important to get hold of the best talents, so that they choose research as a career path, and this is an area in which we need help,” says Ms Fløttum. She believes that a centre of this kind can be positive for Bergen in general as a designated City of Knowledge, because it stimulates the thirst for knowledge.

“It is often said that all children are born researchers, but their sense of wonder and curiosity wears off a little as they grow older. VILVITE can help prevent this from happening,” says Ms Fløttum to På Høyden.

Communication tool
She also points out that the centre is an important communication tool for researchers at UiB, as well as in the rest of Norway.

“We know that research is important to creativity and innovation, and in ensuring development in society. But society also needs and is entitled to information about the results of the research carried out in the research environments. I believe that the centre can play an important role in this context,” says Ms Fløttum.