SUCCESS is the name of the game for Louise Smith, CEO of Dundee science centre Sensation and Aberdeen science centre Satrosphere.
She is behind the wheel of both the centres’ accelerated success over the years.
“I have always been passionate about the fusion of science and community, and am a great believer in what it can achieve,” she said.
Sensation has come a long way since opening its doors 10 years ago, evolving from a locally marketed family attraction into a diverse learning facility and one of Scotland’s leading science centres. It now works frequently with the Universities of Dundee, Abertay and St Andrews, gets more than 70,000 national and international visitors each year and delivers more than 50 science learning programmes
“The team at the centre is an incredible force – dedicated, exceptionally creative, driven and supportive. Standing still for us is not an option. We want to provide the best facilities and programmes for all our learners.”
Louise has lived and breathed Sensation since day one, joining the original team in 2000 as business and HR manager.
Her impressive professional background in fundraising, strategic development and project management quickly led her into increasingly operations-focused roles prior to becoming CEO of the centre.
“Over the years, the science centre has expanded its core themes to showcase other areas of scientific excellence.”
Throughout the last decade, Sensation has branched out into three key areas that have been fundamental in its success so far.
It is now a formal contributor to the academic education of three to 18-year-olds, with a host of HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIe)-approved curriculum-based programmes.
Each year, the science centre runs specially tailored practical learning experiences for pre-school, primary and secondary pupils, plus undergraduate students.
In addition to its contributions to formal education, the centre has established itself as a valuable learning resource in its own right.
“Learning in non-school environments is something I’m particularly passionate about – I love being able to inspire people that perhaps aren’t strong academically or simply don’t get turned on by the classroom. Providing successful alternatives like science centres removes the usual learning boundaries and presents endless possibilities.
“The value of alternative learning resources, like us, became widely recognised when the Scottish Government compiled its Lifelong Learning Strategy in 2003 – part of the wider plan to improve the country and its economic prosperity by creating a smarter, healthier, greener and stronger nation.
“Its ambition that everyone in Scotland is involved with lifelong learning, a concept which goes beyond schooling and traditional academic institutions, echoed my ethos and set the ideal scene for us to develop a focus in this area.
“As a community learning resource, we have a large audience to cater for and have invested a lot into making sure we offer something for everyone.”
This year, Sensation is chairing the Dundee Science Festival Partnership, an event supported by the University of Abertay, University of Dundee, University of St Andrews, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Crop Research Centre.
“We’re always looking for new and interesting ways to engage with the community – it is so important that our visibility remains high and we are consistently delivering a diverse range of new activities and initiatives.
“The Dundee Science Festival is an ideal platform for us as it celebrates the fun and exciting sides of science among a really wide audience, and that’s what we are all about. This year, we are bringing together key institutions, academics and science communicators to share science with the public.
“Dundee is such an inspiring city that is simply bursting with scientific innovations and world-class research. Keyhole surgery, for example, which revolutionised the world of surgery, was pioneered in Ninewells Hospital. The city is a UK leader in medical science and research, the games industry, digital media and renewable energy, and the remarkable people that are behind it all are on our doorstep.”
In 2004, Sensation reached a significant turning point. In its fourth year of operation, Louise and the team entered the attraction into a UK-wide competitive funding bid. They received the second highest share in the country.
“These funds enabled us to really step up our expansion plans and make a particularly dramatic move toward our big ambitions for the centre.
“The recent economic challenges have, of course, had an impact on us as a business, although our visitor numbers held very steadily over the last two years.”
In 2008, the evident success of the Dundee science centre led it to get involved with the operation of Aberdeen’s Satrosphere science centre, which was facing closure.
“The Scottish Government asked us to step in since we were doing so well with the centre in Dundee. Two years down the line, Satrosphere is back on track, with the business already returning a profit.”
Louise is now getting set to launch the next big thing for Sensation which will place the attraction at the forefront of the industry.
“With the University of Dundee and Dundee College, we are getting set to introduce the Science Learning Institute, which will offer exciting inter-professional science communication opportunities for cross-sector audiences.
“The institute team will comprise a diverse range of professionals, including teachers in residence, science learning staff from the science centre, industry professionals and scientists, working together to learn from each other and improve science access for teachers and pupils in our region.”