State Prize for VISTA Science Experience Center

The VISTA Science Experience Center was awarded the 2026 Austrian State Prize for Adult Education in the category “Science Education for Adults.” Federal Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner presented the award on November 4 at the Haus der Begegnung in Vienna. The award recognizes the innovative concept of making cutting-edge research accessible and inspiring people to take an interest in science through personal encounters, interactive exhibits, and dialogue-oriented outreach.

 “Science must be accessible to everyone. Especially at a time when disinformation is on the rise and scientific findings are repeatedly called into question, we need places like the VISTA Science Experience Center—places where people can experience research, ask questions, and form their own well-informed opinions,” Holzleitner said in her congratulatory remarks. “VISTA makes cutting-edge research understandable and fosters unique encounters. The State Prize is a well-deserved recognition of this important work.”

Since opening a year ago—in October 2025—the VISTA Center has already welcomed over 30,000 guests. Located at the heart of the ISTA campus on the edge of the Vienna Woods, the center is a place where science meets society. It not only showcases ISTA’s latest research findings, it also illustrates how scientific knowledge is created: through curiosity, creativity, collaboration, critical inquiry, and unexpected discoveries.

Experience research, understand science

Spanning 500 square meters, the exhibition “Science in the Making – How Tomorrow’s Knowledge Is Created” offers insights into cutting-edge research. More than 50 interactive exhibits, original items from ISTA laboratories, and artistic works invite visitors to explore, experiment, and ask questions. Topics range from brain research to quantum physics and artificial intelligence.

A central element of the VISTA concept is dialogue-based outreach: Science Mediators guide visitors through the exhibition, address their questions and perspectives, and encourage them to reflect on research and its significance for society. At events in the “Meet the Scientist” series, the audience engages directly with researchers and gains insights into their work, personal career paths, and everyday scientific life. These personal encounters break down barriers, foster direct dialogue, and provide an accessible approach to complex scientific topics.

“Fundamental research thrives on curiosity, openness, and the courage to ask questions that have no answers yet. The VISTA Science Experience Center brings this mindset from everyday research right into the heart of society, said ISTA Executive Vice President Gaia Novarino at the awards ceremony. “As part of the ISTA Campus, it offers authentic insights into our work and creates a space for encounters that foster an understanding of the importance of basic research.”

Making ISTA’s cutting-edge research accessible to everyone

With its programs, the VISTA Center caters to people with diverse interests and levels of prior knowledge. Workshops, lectures, guided tours, and collaborations with regional partners open up a variety of ways to engage with scientific topics. Through outreach initiatives such as the VISTA Science TukTuk, research is brought beyond the campus and into the wider region. “In a time of major societal challenges, trust in science is more important than ever. And trust grows where people encounter research, ask questions, and can experience science as an open and transparent process. This is exactly what the VISTA Center stands for with its diverse programs,” says the center’s director, Christian Bertsch.

Austrian state prize for adult education

The Federal Ministry for Women, Science, and Research (BMFWF) awards the Austrian State Prize for Adult Education to recognize outstanding achievements and innovative projects in adult education. In the “Science Education for Adults” category, the prize honors projects that make scientific knowledge understandable, accessible, and applicable to everyday life for adults, thereby strengthening the dialogue between science and society.

About the VISTA Science Experience Center

About the VISTA Science Experience Center

The VISTA Science Experience Center opened in October 2025 on the campus of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) in Klosterneuburg, Lower Austria, just outside of Vienna. Through interactive exhibits, workshops, campus tours, lectures, and personal encounters with researchers, the center makes cutting-edge research accessible. The goal is to convey science not merely as a collection of facts, but as a process and a way of thinking, to break down barriers, and to strengthen the dialogue between research and society. The VISTA Center and the “Science in the Making” exhibition are open to visitors Tuesday through Sunday. More information regarding visits: www.vistascience.at