Sue Wardle

CEO of Techniquest

I have had the privilege of leading Techniquest, Wales' largest science discovery centre, since 2024. Our mission is simple: to inspire curiosity and make science accessible to everyone. Through hands-on experiences, we help young people see science as something they can enjoy, understand and potentially pursue as a future career. My career spans the private, public and charitable sectors, and I have spent much of it creating partnerships, securing investment and widening access to opportunity. Having worked in both arts and science organisations, I have seen first-hand the strong links between creativity, curiosity and discovery, and the power of both to enrich lives and inspire future generations.

Manifesto:

My reason for joining the ASDC Board is that, in the time I have worked in the Science Centre sector, I believe there has never been a greater need for science and discovery!

We, as a sector, have often focussed on the benefits for the science and engineering industry, and educational benefits. However, as the Teach First statistics show, education equality is going in the wrong direction – 15% of the poorest pupils fail to pass all three sciences, compared to 5% of the richest pupils. This together with teachers reporting difficulties in teaching the ever squeezed curriculum, shows that as charities, it is our civic responsibility to exist and thrive.

There is also a social impact – the experiences we design bring people together. People of different ages from different communities, people with different interests and types of knowledge. At a time when people are feeling more isolated, opinions are presented as more polarised, people are spending less time together and more time on their screens – our venues take on even more significance.

We aim to raise awareness of science and demonstrate its importance to everyday life. With the stark reality presented in the IPCC report and in an era of fake news, science is relevant and essential. The collective coming together of different voices to solve a problem is what will solve the big and ‘wicked’ problems we face.

What I bring:

  • 20 years of Science Centre operational and strategic experience
  • A passion for inclusion and cross discipline connection
  • A champion of visitor and non-visitors voices informing our direction