Blueprint Entertainment has become the largest private management company for science centres in Europe after announcing the acquisition of Belgian science centre Earth Explorer from Merlin Entertainments.

Merlin, which owns nearly 100 attractions in 22 countries, had been seeking to sell the Earth Explorer as it did not fit its current portfolio of attractions.

"The main focus of our strategy is the global roll-out of our primary 'midway' brands," said Glenn Earlam, Merlin Entertainments managing director of midway attractions. "We felt that a different operator may be better able to give Earth Explorer the kind of focus required to optimise future development of a science based attraction."

Blueprint co-chair Andreas Waschk secured the takeover of adventure museum, Odysseum in Cologne, Germany, earlier this year and then opened the company's first self developed attraction with children's museum Explorado, in Duisburg, Germany. With the acquisition of Earth Explorer in Oostende, the company now owns three major science centre venues in Europe.

The attraction will close for an estimated four to six weeks during the transfer and Tourism Oostende are hopeful Earth Explorer will be open all year round as previously it was only open for six months every year.