The Foundation: Partner for Popular Science and Technology
The aim of the phæno Foundation is to create an inspiring location where science fuses with the zest to discover and with pure fascination; a place of astonishing effects that otherwise tend to remain hidden behind formulas and prejudices.
- knowledge triggers inspiration
The Foundation promotes the exchange between science, business, schools and the public; it invests in the enthusiasm of the next generation for natural science, in the intellectual wealth of the region, and in Germany as a technology location.
This task is not just a local municipal venture, it is more a challenge for the whole of society. Nor is the financing of such a project affordable through public funding alone.
The city government of Wolfsburg, which financed the building and its exhibition equipment to the tune of around 78 million euros, therefore hands over these assets to the phæno Foundation. Together with strong partners and their ideas, connections and financial support, the Foundation will make sure that phæno can remain a lively location that is always relevant and up-to-date!
The Foundation's president is the astronaut Dr. Ulf Merbold. The "father" of phæno, Dr. Wolfgang Guthardt, is its director, and a major influence on the executive committee is exercised by, among others, Rolf Schnellecke, the Mayor of Wolfsburg.
The operating company phæno-Betriebsgesellschaft mbH, as the "Foundation's daughter" so to speak, carries out the day-to-day running of the centre – including its exhibitions, the events, and the commercial establishments within its walls.
