The dynamic and pluralistic centre for conserving and keeping all aspects of IT that is being created will cover ensembles that are characteristic of information technology hardware and software, including electromechanical equipment that was the predecessor of electronic material, as well as related documents that testify to over 70 years of IT history and its roots in Belgium. The centre will also cover hardware and software relating to telecomputing such as modems, lines and telephones – from the oldest to the most modern mobiles (real electronic pencils that are part of the everyday life of youngsters today). Documentation, archives, photos, recorded accounts (especially technical and historical literature relating to the early days of computing and particularly in Belgium) will constitute a pool of resources for our history and for research.
The centre that is being created aims to create museum activities that will offer visitors the opportunity to understand how even the oldest objects worked through reconstruction, emulation, games and interactivity. This past provides a key that opens the door to the future. The centre will also encourage a more ‘trendy’ tourism for those interested in technological developments.
The King Baudouin Foundation acquired a location in Namur (Salzinnes) to set up such a centre.
A Support Committee is backing the Fund in its undertakings. Its members are currently:
Philippe Busquin, François Delpérée, François-Xavier de Donnea,
Mark Eyskens, Catherine Gernay, Pierre Klees, Philippe Maystadt, Yves
Poullet, Jean-Jacques Quisquater, Alain Siaens, Françoise Tulkens, Saskia
Van Uffelen and Marc Vervenne.
