The 2026 International Committee for Museums and Collections of Ethnography (ICME) Annual Conference Opens at the National Science and Technology Museum (NSTM)

The 2026 International Council of Museums (ICOM)- ICME Annual Conference in Taiwan took place from October 20 to 22 at the NSTM. Under the theme “Recovery and Regeneration,” the conference focused on issues including the decolonization of collections, memory and trauma recovery, regenerative curating, multicultural inclusion, and youth empowerment. The conference brought together museum professionals from the Taiwan and abroad for dialogue and professional exchange, strengthening connections between Taiwan and the global museum community. As the first ICME annual conference to be held in the Asia-Pacific region in nearly two decades, the event also served as an important international platform for showcasing the tangible results of the NSTM’s Site Optimization and Facility Renewal Project as the museum approaches its 30th anniversary.

Where Technology Meets Ethnography: ICME in Kaohsiung at the NSTM

The decision to hold an international conference on ethnography in Kaohsiung, an industrial city, and at a museum devoted to applied science, perfectly embodies this year’s theme of “Recovery and Regeneration.” Kaohsiung is a vibrant city known for its port, technological development, and urban modernization. From ports and shipping, sugar industry railways, steelmaking and shipbuilding, petrochemicals, and processing and manufacturing, Kaohsiung has gradually transformed into a high-tech smart city. This rapid and dynamic process of urban transformation aligns perfectly with the theme of this year’s conference.

The NSTM has long played an irreplaceable role in preserving and interpreting the development of the Taiwan through industrial and technological artifacts, local histories, and personal recollections. Its work traces the transition from traditional production to industrialization and technological development, as well as the evolution of everyday life. The NSTM advocates an approach to cultural experiences that begins with objects, reflecting ethnography’s profound concern for human ways of life, community memory, and the preservation of material culture.

Infrastructure Upgrades and Net-Zero Sustainability: Transforming NSTM’s Venue for its 30th Anniversary

The 2026 ICME was held as NSTM approaches its 30th anniversary. In 2025, the Ministry of Education (MOE) began supporting the museum’s Site Optimization and Facility Renewal Project. The initiative encompasses improvements to its museum spaces, infrastructure, exhibition content, and visitor services. These improvements aim to gradually develop a setting for science and technology education and public learning that better meet future needs and respond to the challenges of technological innovation, urban development, climate change, and net-zero sustainability.

In the process of “recovery” and “regeneration,” the NSTM is not only upgrading its facilities but also rethinking the museum’s relationship with the city, society, and its visitors. The South Complex is promoting spatial regeneration and green building transformation while connecting with surrounding green corridors and public venues. In the North Complex, infrastructure improvements are enhancing safety and energy efficiency. The museum is also introducing smart ticket gates and digital ticketing while improving its visitor wayfinding signage system to continuously enhance visitor experiences.

The MOE has emphasized that regeneration in museums is not about leaving the past behind. Rather, it is about building on existing professional expertise and cultural memory while continually adapting museum services and functions to social change and creating new public value. The 2026 ICME theme of “Recovery and Regeneration” therefore not only represents an important issue for contemporary museums facing social change but also reflects the NSTM’s ongoing process of optimizing its spaces and adjusting its functions.

As NSTM approaches its 30th anniversary and enters a new chapter, it will carry forward memories of the past through “recovery” and respond to future challenges through “regeneration.” With the 2026 ICME Annual Conference in the Taiwan, the NSTM will continue to connect local and international resources and serve as an important public venue linking technology, education, society, and the international community. In doing so, the museum will develop as a hub for international exchanges in science and culture in the southern region of Taiwan, with strong local roots and global outlooks.