MS Wissenschaft 2015 Sets Sail from Dresden with a ZEW Exhibit on Board

The Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) is once again on board the exhibition ship MS Wissenschaft (MS Science). The floating science centre sets sail from Dresden today at 14:30. The ship’s journey, commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF) will take it through Germany and Austria. The focus for the Science Year 2015, as well as for the exhibition on MS Wissenschaft, is the City of the Future. Around 30 exhibitors will set up exhibits in the ship’s hold, with the aim of illustrating how cities function and what makes a city compatible with the future.

This year it was the Research Department "Industry Economics and International Management”, which came up with the ZEW exhibit entitled "Cities need entrepreneurs.” The touchscreen allows visitors to found their own company and to play a role in the various lifecycles of their business. The player is thus responsible for deciding which risks he is willing to take for the chance of success. As well as demonstrating the importance of entrepreneurship for economic growth and for the wealth of society, the computer game also provides a realistic insight into the difficulties associated with successfully establishing a new business.

"If they wish to remain attractive for their residents in the future, then cities require successful entrepreneurs. The exhibit on MS Wissenschaft playfully shows interested audiences what’s important when it comes to founding a company and that, even where the best possible decisions are made, success is by no means guaranteed.” Dr. Georg Licht, leader of the research department and expert in entrepreneurship at ZEW, sheds light on the objectives of the game.  

Before 13th September 2015, MS Wissenschaft will visit around 40 cities located along the German and Austrian waterways. From 23rd until 26th July, the exhibition ship will be moored in Lindenhof, on the Rhine promenade in Mannheim, home of ZEW. Entrance to the exhibition on board MS Wissenschaft will be free of charge. The ship will be open daily from 10:00 until 19:00. Provided that they are pre-registered, school groups will be allowed early access to the ship at 9:00.

Additional information about MS Wissenschaft and the 2015 Science Year can be found at: http://www.ms-wissenschaft.de and http://www.wissenschaftsjahr-zukunftsstadt.de (German language only).