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APEC Project Database

Project Title

Overview of APEC Approaches to Setting and Managing Space Museums and Space Exhibits as Part of Museum Complexes as an Element of Innovative and Sustainable Growth

Project Year

2025

Project Number

TWG_201_2025A

Project Session

Session 2

Project Type

Standard

Project Status

Project in Implementation

Project No.

TWG_201_2025A

Project Title

*
Overview of APEC Approaches to Setting and Managing Space Museums and Space Exhibits as Part of Museum Complexes as an Element of Innovative and Sustainable Growth

Project Status

Project in Implementation

Fund Account

*
APEC Support Fund

Sub-fund

ASF: Connectivity

Project Year

2025

Project Session

*
Session 2

APEC Funding

147,620

Co-funding Amount

0

Total Project Value

147,620

Sponsoring Forum

*
Tourism Working Group (TWG)

Topics

Tourism

Committee

SOM Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (SCE)

Other Fora Involved

Other Non-APEC Stakeholders Involved

 

Proposing Economy(ies)

Russia

Co-Sponsoring Economies

Peru; Singapore

Expected Start Date

01/04/2026

Expected Completion Date

30/06/2027

Project Proponent Name 1

Irina Kozlova

Job Title 1

Deputy Head of UN and G20 Division

Organization 1

Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation

Telephone 1

+79296403869

Email 1

Project Proponent Name 2

Evgenia Drozhashchikh

Job Title 2

Deputy Director, Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects

Organization 2

Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation

Telephone 2

+79266619520

Email 2

Declaration

Irina Kozlova

Project Summary

The project aims to explore the potential of space-themed museums and exhibitions as instruments for developing cultural and educational tourism across APEC economies. It will collect and analyze data on the current landscape of space museums, exhibitions, and science centers in the region, including their number, types, management models, and integration into tourism and education frameworks. APEC economies demonstrate varying levels of experience in space exploration. While some economies operate advanced space programs and established museum networks (name them A economies), others lack such infrastructure but express growing interest in science communication and public engagement (name them B economies). The project will therefore facilitate cross-economy exchange, allowing spacefaring economies to share expertise and practical solutions with those seeking to develop or enhance their own science-related visitor attractions.


The project will deliver two key outputs:

-APEC Guide on Developing Space Museums and Exhibits for Public Engagement, consolidating information on existing institutions and outlining policy and operational recommendations for APEC economies;

-A hybrid capacity-building conference hosted at the Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics (Kaluga, Russia), providing an opportunity for tourism and museum professionals to exchange experiences and develop practical skills.


By promoting collaboration, innovation, and the creation of accessible science-themed attractions, the project supports APEC’s objectives of sustainable tourism growth, human capital development, and knowledge sharing across the region.


The practical visit to the Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics is an essential element of the project, as it allows participants to observe how a space- themed museum functions as a tourism, educational, and public engagement facility.


Given that many APEC economies do not yet operate space museums or related visitor sites, access to a real-life example is critical for understanding organizational, interpretative, and visitor experience solutions discussed within the project. The field visit complements the Conference sessions by providing a shared practical reference that supports evidence-based discussion and peer learning. It enables participants to critically assess museum practices, identify elements that can be replicated or adapted, and directly informs the formulation of recommendations for economies at different stages of development. This hands-on component strengthens the overall capacity-building impact of the project and ensures that the outputs are grounded in practical experience.

Relevance

Region

The project builds on the fact that more and more APEC economies express interest in exploring outer space. While entrance into the sector is an expensive one and requires substantial funding, both spacefaring economies and those not having own space infrastructure yet endeavor to raise public interest to the sphere.


At the same time, travelling to spaceports to observe the launch of rockets is associated with such limitations as: difficult logistics due to remote locations; complicated approval process for the visitors due to safety measures; need to coordinate the visit with the schedule of space exploration activities; limited capacity of space exploration infrastructure; high costs of visiting.


In this context, the project will test the hypothesis that one of the solutions to overcome the mentioned challenges is establishing a space museum or a space exhibit. First, the project will envisage research on space museums in APEC available for tourists (including such types of visitor sites as planetarium / astronomical observatory / thematic parks), as well as space exhibits as part of museum complexes, including portrait of the target audience, cost of visit overview.

Second, an offline conference and an offline trip to visit the Museum of Cosmonautics (Kaluga, Russia), one of the largest scientific and historical museums in the world, will provide economies with an opportunity to:

1. Exchange the best practices pertaining to setting up a space museum or a space exhibit as part of museum complexes

2. Gain first-hand experience on establishing and managing a space museum (in terms of educational and entertaining content, e.g. space food testing).


Eligibility and Fund Priorities

This project fully meets APEC’s eligibility criteria and directly supports the priorities of the APEC Support Fund by delivering capacity building for member economies — especially developing economies — in the field of science-based and innovative tourism.

-Capacity building focus. The initiative is designed to help economies obtain, share, strengthen and maintain the knowledge, abilities, skills and technical know-how needed to improve policies, institutional frameworks and tourism practices related to space-themed attractions.

-Practical learning format. A two-day conference will take place at the Tsiolkovsky

Space Museum in Kaluga, Russia. These activities combine workshops, presentations and on-site demonstrations to ensure hands-on learning and direct knowledge transfer.

-Knowledge development. Presentations from leaders of space museums and tourism departments of cosmodromes will explain how to establish and operate space museums either as standalone institutions or as part of science museums.

-Strengthening abilities. The project fosters cooperation between economies with advanced space programs (“A economies”) and those without such infrastructure (“B economies”), enabling the latter to plan and implement space-related exhibits and outreach activities.

-Building skills and sustaining impact. By sharing best practices on museum management and visitor engagement, the project contributes to equipping B economies with the skills needed to develop and run space museums and to train future guides.


Through these elements, the project aligns with APEC’s Fund priorities of innovative and sustainable growth while providing concrete, long-lasting benefits to both all member economies, especially developing ones.


In particular, the project directly meets such eligibility criteria of APEC Support Fund – Sub Fund on Connectivity as:

-People-to-People Connectivity, including facilitating the movement of people across borders,

and the exchange of innovative ideas, such as issues of business travel mobility, cross-border education, tourism facilitation, and skilled labor mobility.


Capacity Building

The project responds to the following goals from the Annex K. Capacity BuildingGoals, Objectives

and Principles of the APEC Project Guidebook: (1) to attain sustainable economicgrowth and development in the Asia-Pacific region; (2) to reduce economic disparitiesamong APEC economies; (3) to improve the economic and social well-being of thepeople; and (4) to deepen the spirit of community in the Asia Pacific.

At the same time, the project refers to the following principles: long-term effect,needs / opportunities driven, replicable throughout the economies, fosters innovation,empowerment and growth, seeks cost-effective solutions, collaborative in nature.

These capacity building Goals will be achieved through two practice-oriented steps: 1.Report on space museums in APEC available for tourists (including such types ofvisitor sites as planetarium / astronomical observatory / thematic parks), as well asspace exhibits as part of museum complexes with a focus

on best practices of their organization – that will be formulated hand in hand withAPEC TWG members and then, in its final version, disseminated for the broader usewithin APEC economies. 2 Offline conference and field trip to the Tsiolkovsky SpaceMuseum (Kaluga, Russia) – that will gather APEC experts for on-site exchange ofexpertise and jointly testing the hypotheses raised in the Report.

Objectives

The project responds to the following goals from the Annex K. Capacity Building Goals, Objectives and Principles of the APEC Project Guidebook:

(1) to attain sustainable economic growth and development in the Asia-Pacific region;

(2) to reduce economic disparities among APEC economies;

(3) to improve the economic and social well-being of the people; and

(4) to deepen the spirit of community in the Asia Pacific.


At the same time, the project refers to the following principles: long-term effect, needs / opportunities driven, replicable throughout the economies, fosters innovation, empowerment and growth, seeks cost-effective solutions, collaborative in nature.


These capacity building Goals will be achieved through two practice-oriented steps: 1. Report on space museums in APEC available for tourists (including such types of visitor sites as planetarium / astronomical observatory / thematic parks), as well as space exhibits as part of museum complexes with a focus on best practices of their organization – that will be formulated hand in hand with APEC TWG members and then, in its final version, disseminated for the broader use within APEC economies. 2 Offline conference and field trip to the Tsiolkovsky Space Museum (Kaluga, Russia) – that will gather APEC experts for on-site exchange of expertise and jointly testing the hypotheses raised in the Report.

Alignment

APEC

This project directly supports the implementation of the Putrajaya Vision 2040 and the Aotearoa Plan of Action by promoting “inclusive, innovative, and sustainable growth” in the Asia-Pacific region. It builds on the growing interest of APEC economies in space exploration – an area that, despite its high entry barriers and infrastructure costs, has become increasingly relevant across both spacefaring and non-spacefaring economies. These economies seek to raise public awareness and engagement in space-related fields, recognizing the potential educational, cultural, and economic benefits. However, direct access to spaceports is limited by complex logistics, safety restrictions, launch schedules, and cost. This project tests the hypothesis that establishing space museums and visitor-friendly exhibits can serve as effective alternatives to foster public interest. Through research on existing space museums and exhibits across APEC, along with an offline conference and a study visit to the Tsiolkovsky Space Museum in Kaluga, Russia, the project will facilitate to quality practical knowledge exchange, at the same time contributing to capacity-building, education, and innovation – key pillars of APEC’s long-term vision.

The project is fully aligned with APEC 2025 Korea priorities. Under the Connect priority, it fosters people-to-people exchanges aimed at strengthening regional capacity in space exploration. This domain inherently demands the integration of advanced digital technologies, directly supporting the Innovate priority.

Furthermore, by encouraging collaboration between spacefaring economies and those not having own space infrastructure while ensuring the participation of women, youth and representatives of MSMEs to this process, the project advances the Prosper priority, which focuses on promoting prosperity among and within APEC economies.


Forum

The project is strongly aligned with the APEC Tourism Working Group (TWG) priorities, specified in the TWG Strategic Plan, particularly in the areas of human capital development, sustainable tourism, and economic growth.

By addressing the increasing interest in space exploration across the region, the project leverages momentum to introduce innovative forms of tourism that combine education, science, and cultural engagement. Through an offline conference and a targeted field trip to the Tsiolkovsky Space Museum in Kaluga, the project will build the capacity of tourism professionals and policymakers from APEC economies who may be tasked with launching or managing space museums or space-themed exhibits.

These activities will serve as a hands-on training platform, promoting skills development in experience design, visitor engagement, and content creation.

In parallel, the project promotes the creation of smart, sustainable tourism destinations, offering accessible alternatives to direct spaceport visits. Space museums, planetariums, observatories, and thematic parks can act as entry points into space science for broader audiences, including youth, families, and underserved communities. These attractions have the potential to generate year- round tourism, foster local employment, and strengthen science communication infrastructure, aligning closely with TWG’s mission to enhance tourism’s contribution to socio-economic resilience and regional cooperation.

Beneficiaries and Outputs

Output


1) 2-Day In-Person Conference

The 2-full day (7-8 hours per day) in-person conference will be held in the city of Kaluga, Russia. The choice of the location can be explained by the fact that the space museum is the very first space museum in the history of the mankind.


The museum has 2 sections: the original building and the new adjacent. It has already expressed high interest in being the venue for the conference and possesses all the necessary infrastructure. Moreover, the museum administration has expressed willingness to share best practices and make the field trip to the museum beneficial for visitors by opening up all the insights on making a space museum a successful business unit.


The conference will last for 2 days.


The participants of the conference will be space museum principles, museum guides, heads of the associations representing those who express top interest in space exploration, heads of tourism departments of the cosmodromes, experts in space food production. Those space exploration objects, observatories, thematic parks and space museums and exhibitions that will be classified as the role models will be granted with the invitation to the Conference.


The field visit to the Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics is necessary to ensure the practical orientation of the project. As the project focuses on developing space museums and exhibitions as tools for tourism, education, and public engagement, participants need direct exposure to an operating space museum. This is particularly important for APEC economies that do not have space infrastructure and lack practical reference models. The visit enhances the Conference by linking research and policy discussions with real-world practice. It provides a common case study for participants, supports informed peer exchange, and directly contributes to the development of practical, transferable recommendations included in the APEC Guide. The field visit strengthens capacity building by helping economies identify adaptable solutions suitable for different levels of resources and experience.


The agenda for the Conference is as follows:


Day 0 – Arrival and Transfer

- Arrival of participants

-Check-in


Day 1

09:30–10:00 – Opening Ceremony

10:00–11:30 – Session 1: Space Museums as Tools for Education and Tourism Development

11:30–12:00 – Coffee Break

12:00–13:30 – Session 2: Designing engaging, hands-on and accessible Visitor Experiences

13:30–15:00 – Lunch

15:00–16:30 – Session 3: How to Start: Establishing a Space Museum in Economies without Space Infrastructure

16:30–17:00 – Wrap-up Discussion


Day 2

09:30–11:00 – Guided Tour: Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics (Kaluga)

-Introduction to museum concept, visitor flow, and educational programs.

-Exchange with museum curators and education department. 11:00–11:30 – Coffee Break at the Museum Café

11:30–13:00 – Interactive Workshop: Adapting Space-Themed Content for Non-Spacefaring Economies

-Group discussions on challenges and affordable models.

-Practical session: drafting outlines for local science or space exhibitions. 13:00–14:30 – Lunch

14:30–16:00 – Final Roundtable: Drafting Recommendations for APEC Economies

-Presentation of group findings.

-Discussion.

16:00–17:00 – Closing Ceremony


Evening – Free time for informal networking and individual exploration of Kaluga’s cultural sites.

(Participants stay overnight in Kaluga and depart the next day. PO will conduct post-conference survey after the Conference).


2) APEC Guide on Developing Space Museums and Exhibits for Public Engagement (APEC Publication)

This research is conducted for the development of the APEC Guide on Developing Space Museums and Exhibits for Public Engagement. The Guide will provide evidence-based recommendations for APEC economies on how space museums and space-related exhibits can be developed, enhanced, and integrated into tourism and education strategies.

The research will apply a mixed-methods approach, combining desk research with a structured online survey of all APEC economies.

Desk and literature research will be conducted to map existing space museums, planetariums, astronomical observatories, thematic parks, and space-related exhibits across APEC economies, and to identify preliminary best practices in museum organization, visitor engagement, and accessibility. This will be followed by a online survey-based data collection, conducted through an official questionnaire distributed to all APEC economies. Upon receipt, each economy will be requested to circulate the survey among relevant institutions, including space exploration infrastructure operators, planetariums, astronomical observatories, thematic parks, and museums with space exhibits. Participating institutions will complete the survey and submit responses to the Project Overseer (PO) for analysis. APEC economies will be responsible only for collecting and forwarding the information.


The survey will allow the project to:

-Identify Economies belonging to the A and B categories of the project.


Here and further on the reference to A and B economies mean the economies with advanced space programs (“A economies”) and those without such infrastructure (“B economies”).


-Identify selected space museums that can serve as role models.

-Assess local population interest in space exploration.

-Understand the types and number of venues available for visitors in each economy.

-Compare modern space museums and exhibits with those established in the 20th century.

-Estimate the average cost of visits by venue.

-Analyze current visitor interaction opportunities.

-Determine the ratio of local to foreign visitors.

-Identify the number of women involved in making space museums and exhibits accessible to visitors.

The survey will collect information on:

-Accessibility of the infrastructure for the local population.

-Years of establishment.

-Annual number of visitors (locals and foreigners).

-Visitor procedures (safety measures, advance access requirements).

-Exhibits presented to visitors.

-Cost of visits.

-Number and training of local guides.

-Hands-on experience opportunities.

-Level of interaction with professionals involved in space exploration.

-Collaboration and best practice sharing with other museums.

-Status as independent museums or part of science museum complexes.

-Recommendations and barriers to increasing tourism flows.

The processed survey results will form the basis for the APEC Guide on Developing Space Museums and Exhibits for Public Engagement.

This Guide will be the first comprehensive examination of the availability of space infrastructure, planetariums, observatories, thematic parks, and space exhibits for tourists in the APEC region. The Guide will focus on:

(a) space museums in APEC available for tourists (including such types of visitor sites as planetariums, astronomical observatories, thematic parks), as well as space exhibits as part of museum complexes with a focus on best practices of their organization;

(b) details on how to open up a space museum and a space exhibit (c)insights and recommendations from the offline conference.

(d) a reference to a wider audience in the region on how cooperation between A and B economies (the reference to A and B economies mean the economies with advanced space programs (“A economies”) and those without such infrastructure (“B economies”)) in the field of organizing space museums can be boosted, as well as on sharing best practices on how to increase tourism flows to existing space museums and space exploration objects.


Description of the Guide and Target Audience

The APEC Guide on Developing Space Museums and Exhibits for Public Engagement will present a structured overview of space-related museums, exhibits, planetariums, astronomical observatories, and thematic parks across APEC economies, with a focus on their role in tourism development, education, and public engagement.

The Guide will include:

-An overview of the current landscape of space museums and space- related visitor sites in APEC economies;

-A typology of economies based on different stages of space-sector and museum development (A and B categories);

-Analysis of best practices in museum governance, visitor experience design, accessibility, digitalization, and integration into tourism strategies;

-Case studies of selected role-model venues identified through the research;

-Practical step-by-step recommendations for economies seeking to establish space museums or space exhibits despite limited space infrastructure;

-Policy-oriented recommendations to enhance accessibility, visitor interaction, and tourism flows to existing space-related venues;

-Key insights and recommendations generated during the Conference and field visit.

-The minimum length of the Guide will be 50 pages (excluding annexes).

-Target audiences of the Guide include:

-Tourism policymakers and government agencies responsible for cultural, educational, and science-based tourism development;

-Local and regional tourism organizations and destination management bodies;

-Museum operators, curators, and science center professionals;

-Space-related institutions seeking to engage the public through visitor experiences;

-Educational institutions and NGOs involved in science communication;

-APEC fora and international organizations working at the intersection of tourism, education, and innovation.


Outcome

1) Enhance participants’ awareness of different development stages of APEC economies in the context of space museums and exhibits as tourism facilities, promote sharing of best practices and facilitate collaboration among APEC economies. This will be measured through final report and the list of specific recommendations accumulated as an outcome of the Research and the Conference.

2) Increase understanding and awareness of the economies that currently do not possess the possibilities to provide hands-on tourism experience in space exploration available to the local population. Make sure the economies are engaged and empowered to develop space-related tourism facilities. This will be again measured via the Final report and the post conference survey.


Beneficiaries

The primary target audience includes tourism policymakers, cultural and educational tourism developers, museum and science center professionals, and other stakeholders across APEC economies interested in creating or enhancing visitor experiences through science-themed attractions.


The project will deliver practical benefits through two main outputs – the APEC Guide on Developing Space Museums and Exhibits for Public Engagement and the Conference and field trip to Tsiolkovsky space museum in Kaluga, Russia. Tourism policymakers and government agencies will receive evidence-based insights on how science- and space-themed attractions can broaden tourism offers and strengthen cultural and educational tourism strategies.

Museum and science center professionals will gain access to best practices in exhibit design, visitor engagement, and cost-effective digitalization, with opportunities for hands-on learning during the field trip.

Destination managers and tour operators will learn practical approaches for integrating space-themed museums into tourism routes to enhance visitor experience and stay duration.

Educational institutions and NGOs will explore models for promoting public interest in science and technology through tourism.

Overall, the project will strengthen capacity, foster collaboration, and support the development of affordable science-related tourism experiences across APEC economies.


The APEC Guide on Developing Space Museums and Exhibits for Public Engagement will be particularly valuable for:

–Government agencies and tourism boards looking to expand cultural tourism offers, especially in regions without direct access to major space infrastructure;

–Museum operators and curators seeking replicable models for engaging science exhibitions;

–Destination managers and tour operators aiming to include space-themed experiences in regional tourism products;

–Educational institutions and NGOs involved in science communication and public engagement through tourism.


The findings will support capacity building and cross-border exchange of practical knowledge, helping economies - especially those with limited resources - develop affordable and innovative science-related tourism experiences.


As far as the secondary beneficiaries are concerned (those who indirectly gain from the project’s outputs – not the main target participants, but still influenced by the results or knowledge shared) they are seen as:


-Local communities and visitors who will benefit from improved museum experiences, educational opportunities, and more engaging cultural tourism offers.

-Students and young people who will gain increased access to informal science learning through future museum initiatives inspired by the project.

-SMEs and tourism-related businesses (e.g., tour guides, local crafts, hospitality providers) that may see increased visitor flows and new collaboration opportunities linked to science-themed attractions.

-APEC working groups and fora (e.g., HRDWG, PPSTI) that can use the project’s findings to inform cross-cutting initiatives in education, innovation, and sustainable tourism.

Dissemination

The Guide document will be shared through APEC website as an APEC publication, the Tourism Working Group, and related fora such as PPSTI and HRDWG. Electronic copies will be distributed to tourism authorities, museums, and educational institutions across APEC economies. Key findings and recommendations will be summarized in a digital brief and promoted through APEC communication channels. Where feasible, an online follow-up session will be held to support continuous knowledge sharing and encourage replication of best practices.

Gender

Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Documents folder.

Work Plan

Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Documents folder.

Risks

Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Documents folder.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Documents folder.

Linkages

This project offers strong opportunities for collaboration between the Tourism Working Group (TWG), other APEC fora, and international expert organizations. Within APEC, the Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI) will be invited to contribute with expertise on the prospects for integration of interactive and technology-based tools in museum and tourism experiences. The Human Resources Development Working Group (HRDWG) will assist with advice on best practices of training and skill development for tourism and museum professionals.

Beyond APEC, the project will engage UNOOSA, STC COPUOS, COSPAR, and the IAF Space Museums and Science Centers Committee, which can provide policy guidance, case studies, scientific expertise, and best practices in public space education. Their participation will strengthen the project’s credibility, ensure alignment with global outreach efforts, and support long-term collaboration between tourism and international science education.

Sustainability

The project supports long-term cooperation among APEC economies by creating a shared knowledge base of best practices in developing and managing space museums and interactive science exhibitions. By transferring proven models from more experienced economies to those with so far limited capacity, the project encourages

peer-to-peer exchange, mentoring, and future collaboration between institutions and professionals. These best practices provide a practical foundation for B economies to initiate space museum projects adapted to local contexts, contributing to job creation in tourism, education, and museum services. At the same time, A economies benefit from expanded professional networks and opportunities to share expertise, ensuring mutually beneficial and sustainable cooperation across the APEC region.


Please kindly note that here and further on the refence to A and B economies mean the economies with advanced space programs (“A economies”) and those without such infrastructure (“B economies”).


The APEC Guide on Developing Space Museums and Exhibits for Public Engagement will serve as a useful reference to all people from APEC region for a longer term. The PO’s organization will monitor the status of any participant economies taking forward any of the recommendations proposed in the Project Final Report by collecting feedbacks through post-event participant surveys. The PO will also keep in touch with participants and continue to report findings.

Direct Labour

Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Documents folder.

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