BTEK

The Lehendakari Patxi López has opened BTEK, the Technology Interpretation Centre at the Bizkaia Technology Park

• The opening of BTEK is the first act to take place on the 25th anniversary of the Bizkaia Technology Park.

• Also present at the ceremony, with the Lehendakari, were the Secretary of State for Education, the Ministry for Industry, Innovation, Commerce and Tourism, the Chairman of the Network of Technology Parks in the Basque Country, the Director of Bizkaia Technology Park and the Director of BTEK, among others.

• With the aim of promoting Technology among young people, BTEK has an exhibition space divided by Theme.

• The building is in two parts in the form of a pyramid and has already won several architectural awards.

• Bizkaia Technology Park has invested 11 million Euros in the construction of the building and the development of its contents.

The Lehendakari Patxi López today opened BTEK, the Technology Interpretation Centre at the Bizkaia Technology Park. Present at the opening ceremony were the Minister for Industry, Innovation, Commerce and Tourism, Bernabé Unda, the Secretary of State for Education, Eva Almunia, the Chairman of the Network of Technology Parks of the Basque Country, Francisco Berjón, the director of Bizkaia Technology Park, Txaber Ouro, the director of BTEK, Xabier Díaz Silvestre, and representatives from SPRI, UPV/EHU, other companies at the Park and organisations who have taken part in the construction of the building and the development of the contents.

After the aurresku of honour and the cutting of the ribbon, the Lehendakari and other authorities visited the centre and modules of the different spaces.

The aim of BTEK, the Technology Interpretation Centre of the Bizkaia Technology Park, is to take technology closer to young people, mainly at secondary school level, promoting a scientific and technological culture among young people. To achieve this objective, a space has been designed for a broad range of content, divided into various modules. The Park has invested 11 million Euros in the project.

Inside the BTEK

The Innovation kiosk – This will offer information on the latest scientific and technological advances in our environment.

The network and digital world – A New Era, A Digital World, Black Boxes, Digital Technology on Every Corner, The Threads of the Network, Network Users and Alone or In Company?, are some of the modules in this space.

Your home, today and tomorrow – On the one hand, visitors can experiment with sustainability at home, and on the other, with the new and innovative technologies present within. Technology at Home, New Materials, Technology Chup! Chup! BTEK giving off sparks are the modules in this space.

"Full steam ahead! Other worlds around us – This corner is formed of modules relating to nanotechnology and biotechnology; in addition, it has another space for the analysis of sustainability from a technological viewpoint. Smaller than Small, Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Robotics and Sustainability are the main modules.

L@btek – The laboratory-workshop contains workshops relating to the subjects on exhibition at BTEK, including robotics, biotechnology, nanotechnology, materials….those activities which cannot be carried out at schools and colleges or which may complement them.

Operation

Once the Centre is open, the different modules at BTEK will be adapted accordingly to be ready for the next school year. As the objective is to attract secondary school students, the centres will be contacted to arrange dynamic visits. In the future, it is hoped that other areas of the public will visit the centre, Primary school students, Professional Training students, visitors to the Park, families, teachers…such that the doors are open to everyone.

Origin

In 2005, Bizkaia Technology Park started to take the first steps towards the creation of BTEK, defining the bases of the project and carrying out the preliminary project. In the following years, they contacted developers, Education and Research Organisations and Development and Innovation bodies from the area, to define the principal lines of the project, approve the building project and define the museology and museography. In 2007, the Ministry of Education signed a collaboration agreement with BTEK to support the project. In 2009, the BTEK Foundation was founded with the participation of the Bizkaia Technology Park, the Ikastolas Federation, the Elhuyar Foundation, the Tecnalia Corporation and SPRI.

The building

The BTEK building is the work of the architect, Gonzalo Carro (ACXT), who designed it to be a landmark in the landscape, using two pyramidal volumes, free-standing on the outside, but joined together below the ground. To date, this unusual and original building has already received several awards:

Arch Daily Best Cultural Building of 2009

Plataforma Arquitectura. Building of the Year 2009

AR Awards 2009- Mention of honour

8th Sao Paulo Architecture Biennial 2009- Mention of Honour

LAMP 2010 Finalist for the best lighting award

Finalist for the COAVN 2010 award

Finalist for the NAN 2009 award

• Source: Bizkaia Technology Park

• Date: 2010/06/09