1. December 2014
SFIs represent one of the council’s most prestigious programmes, and 57 applications were received. Its goal is to strengthen the commitment to long-term research through close collaboration between companies with active R&D programmes and leading scientific institutions. Expertise is to be developed at a high international level in areas which are important for innovation and value creation.
Involvement here fits with our culture of participation in developing society. We’ll apply our expertise to achieving a better climate and the necessary adjustments to anticipated climate challenges. Many of our projects are influenced by and influence the climate and the environment. That makes it essential to be familiar with developments in legislation, statutory regulations and operating parameters in order to be able to provide forward-looking advice. We will be a driving force in the industry by being updated on current research, and share this knowledge with our clients, says Christian N Madsen, chief executive of Multiconsult.
Only consultant in four SFIs
One of the new centres with Multiconsult participation is called Climate 2050 – Risk Reduction Through Climate Adaptation of Buildings and Infrastructure. It will seek to reduce the social risk associated with climate change, increased precipitation and floods in the built environment.
The other SFI in which the company participates is the Centre for Integrated Remote Sensing and Forecasting for Arctic Operations. Its main goal is to develop knowledge and technology for monitoring maritime conditions and forecasting such factors as weather, emissions/discharges, sea states and ice conditions in Arctic waters.
This work will be important for achieving an even better understanding of the challenges posed by operating in Arctic waters, and for continued development of the existing leading-edge expertise built up by Multiconsult with Arctic technology.
The company already participates, again as the only consultancy, in an SFI called Sustainable Arctic Marine and Coastal Technology (SAMCoT) as well as in a centre for environment-friendly energy research (FME) named Zero Emission Buildings (ZEB). These centres are both in their fourth year of operation.
Inspirational expertise sharing
Multiconsult is involved to a growing extent in prestigious innovation and research programmes such as the SFIs, the FMAs and user-driven research-based innovation (BIA).
Participation in such programmes gives us access to the finest research.We meet teams who can inspire, we exchange experience and knowledge, establish networks and highlight our own expertise, notes Madsen.
SFIs with Multiconsult participation:
Climate 2050 – Risk Reduction Through Climate Adaptation of Buildings and Infrastructure
This centre will seek to reduce the social risk associated with climate change, increased precipitation and floods in the built environment. Both extreme weather and gradual climate change will be addressed.
Activity at the centre is intended to generate new and improved solutions, products, processes and business models in the climate adaptation of buildings and infrastructure.
The host institution, Trondheim-based Sintef, collaborates with four research partners – the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), the BI Norwegian Business School, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI).
Commercial partners are drawn from various sectors of the Norwegian construction industry – consultants, contractors and production and service companies. They are Skanska Norge AS, Multiconsult AS, Mesterhus Norge A/L, Norgeshus AS, Saint-Gobain Byggevarer AS, Isola AS and Spenncon AS.
The centre also embraces public-sector construction commissioners and property developers such as Statsbygg, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, the Norwegian National Rail Administration and Avinor AS. Other participants are the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) and Finance Norway (FNO).
Centre for Integrated Remote Sensing and Forecasting for Arctic Operations
This SFI’s main goal is to develop knowledge and technology for monitoring maritime conditions and forecasting such factors as weather, emissions/discharges, sea states and ice conditions in Arctic waters. These are crucial for the conduct of safe and sustainable operations in far-northern seas by the petroleum, shipping and fishing industries.
The host institution, the UiT – Norwegian Arctic University, collaborates with five research partners. These are the Northern Research Institute (Norut), the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, the Norwegian Polar Institute, the NTNU and the Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Centre. Contact has also been established with staff at a number of international research institutions.
Commercial partners are Kongsberg Satellite Services AS, Kongsberg Spacetec AS, Globesar AS, Aranica AS, Maritime Robotics, Statoil, Shell Technology Norway AS, ENI Norge, Aker Solutions ASA and Multiconsult AS. They include both large companies active in research and small, recently established enterprises rooted in the research community in Tromsø.