Report of the Board of Directors 2010
The Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) is a private foundation and a leading international centre for research and consulting within the geosciences, aiming at developing optimum solutions for society through its expertise on soil, rock and snow.
From the left: Steinar Nordal, Arne T. Wiiger, Marie Nordby, Klaus J. Hansen, Suzanne Lacasse (Managing Director NGI), Magnus Sparrevik, Jon Frøisland (chairman), Bente Nyland og Torbjørg Opedal (Deputy for Ingrid Sølvberg).
Strategy and quality
NGI's basic values are trust, vitality, teamwork and integrity. NGI invests in competence enhancement, new solutions through cooperation with clients and partners, and maintaining NGI as an attractive, visible and dynamic organization. NGI wishes to be recognised as a geo-arena for authorities, industry and academia.
Our quality policy is to offer services that meet the needs of our clients, increase cooperation with clients and partners, and increase focus on the significance of quality and quality services. NGI's quality management system is certified according to ISO 9001 by the British Standard Institution (BSI). NGI's environmental and soil mechanics laboratories are accredited by Norwegian Accreditation (NA).
Economical results in 2010
In 2010, NGI achieved an operating result of 12 MNOK, with total income of 317 MNOK. The net income (sold hours) was 258 MNOK. Basic funding from The Research Council of Norway was 21 MNOK, or 6.5% of the turnover. In addition, NGI received 3.5 MNOK to cover part of its national responsibility in snow avalanche research. The remaining income came from contract assignments for industry and public agencies, both in Norway and abroad. Assignments outside Norway amounted to 115 MNOK in 2010, or 36% of the total income. The Board is confident that the accounts provide a correct picture of NGI's assets and liabilities, financial position and results for 2010.
Personnel and work environment
In 2010, NGI had 212 permanent employees. Eighty percent of these have university education, and 30% of the permanent employees are of non-Norwegian origin. We have employees from more than 30 countries. NGI also hosts annually 25 to 35 research scientists and post-doctoral research fellows from abroad. Salary and personnel related expenses amounted to 191 MNOK (74% of net income) in 2010.
During the period 2004-2010, 25 employees were granted stipends from the NGI Research Stipend Fund. The fund provides the means for sabbatical leave and PhD studies. Since 2004, NGI has granted 17 MNOK in stipends.
In 2010, sick leave was 3%. NGI prioritizes increased awareness of work safety and preventive health policies. The work environment at NGI is good, as confirmed by the results of the employee survey done early 2011. Focus on professional competence, good social relationships and good work conditions are characteristics of the NGI work environment.
Geo-results and future prospects
In 2002, NGI succeeded in the competition for a Centre of Excellence and established the International Centre for Geohazards (ICG). NGI established the Centre in cooperation with the Universities of Trondheim (NTNU) and Oslo (UiO), NORSAR and the Geological Survey of Norway. This opened new and exciting research and education opportunities and placed NGI in a leading position in the areas of landslides, earthquake response, tsunami, risk assessment and natural hazards in general. NGI is now applying for a new Centre of Excellence from 2013.
In 2010, NGI developed further methods and solutions for the transportation sector, for constructions on land and offshore installations, and contributed to new solutions and approaches for the instrumentation and analysis of foundations for bridges and harbour structures, subsea technology, computational geomechanics, air-borne and marine geophysics, the geotechnical analysis of tunnels, rock caverns and petroleum reservoirs, and the analysis and management of contaminated ground and groundwater.
NGI has a good reserve of projects at the start of 2011, and is well equipped to handle market adjustments, if necessary. NGI expects 2011 to also be a successful year. NGI's Board expresses its gratitude to NGI's personnel for an excellent result and huge efforts in 2010. Given NGI's expertise and reputation, the Board is optimistic for NGI's future development.
NGI's Board of Directors
Chairman, Jon Frøisland, Expert advicer, The Norwegian National Rail Administration
- deputy, Jens Melsom, Expert advicer
Deputy Chair, Marie Nordby, Chief Engineer, The Climate and Pollution Agency
- deputy, Hilde Beate Keil, Senior Engineer
Member, Ingrid Sølvberg, Director, Statoil
- deputy, Torbjørg Opedal, Department Director
Member, Bente Nyland, Director General, The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate
- deputy, John Kjøde, Director
Member, Klaus J. Hansen, Director, Veidekke AS
- deputy, Ketil Gunde Andersen, CFO
Employee repr. Arne Thune Wiiger, NGI
Employee repr. Magnus Sparrevik, NGI
Observer, Steinar Nordal, Professor - Civil Engineering, Geotechnics, NTNU