organizationScience and EducationUK

Natural History Museum

A world-class visitor attraction and leading science research centre in London.

Established in 1881 and located in South Kensington, London, the Natural History Museum is a major science research centre and visitor attraction. It houses one of the world's most significant collections of natural world specimens, totaling over 80 million items sourced globally over 260 years.

The museum focuses on research regarding life on Earth, planetary geology, and the evolution of the solar system. To support this, it has digitised over six million specimens via its Data Portal. The institution aims to create advocates for the planet and inspire care for the natural world, attracting over 7 million visitors in 2025.

Innovation in data and infrastructure is currently central to the museum's operations. It is preparing to relocate 28 million specimens to a new science facility at Thames Valley Science Park and moving millions more to refurbished stores in South Kensington.

Ideas that could help Natural History Museum

Comparative Morphological Mapping Tool
A digital analysis tool that maps structural similarities across different species to identify evolutionary patterns in organic life.
Why it helps: The tool would help their curators organize and analyze morphological data across their extensive specimen archives.