Quick clay took center stage at the Campus Ullevål opening

Collaboration across sectors made it possible

Campus Ullevål was developed and is jointly owned by NGI and Aspelin Reitan Eiendom. During the opening, NGI CEO Lars Andresen and Aspelin Reitan Eiendom CEO Ida Aall Gram welcomed the guests.

Aall Gram highlighted the broad range of contributors who helped bring the project to life.

“NGI and the research community, the consultants, the contractors, and everyone who has worked on the development of the building are the reason we can stand here today. Collaboration across sectors is what made Campus Ullevål possible,” she said.

NGI’s new headquarters

For NGI, the opening represents more than moving into a new building. Campus Ullevål brings together NGI’s operations in Oslo and provides the institute with new laboratories and modern research infrastructure.

“Together, this provides an excellent foundation for NGI to further develop its research and deliver even more effectively on our societal mission,” Andresen said during the opening event.

NGI has also gained new neighbors working in fields closely related to its own. Campus Ullevål has space for 1,500 employees and features advanced laboratories. It brings together the research institutes NGI, NIVA, NORCE, CICERO, and NIBIO, along with several other research and knowledge organizations.

Several collaborations are already underway. Andresen also wants Campus Ullevål to become a meeting place for clients, partners, and those who will use the research findings.

“Here, we can listen to their needs while also showcasing what we can accomplish,” he continued.

A major boost for research

Mari Sundli Tveit, CEO of the Research Council of Norway, described Campus Ullevål as a major boost for research.

Oslo’s Vice Mayor for Culture and Business, Mehmet Kaan Inan, performed the official opening. He highlighted the importance of research and innovation to the competitiveness of both Oslo and Norway.

“Campus Ullevål demonstrates that Oslo is a business-friendly city committed to investing in research and the development of new industries. We want more of the research conducted here to lead to real products and economic value,” Inan said.

He also pointed out that Oslo is competing with other major Nordic cities and with the rest of Europe.

“Perhaps this is the beginning of something even bigger?” he asked rhetorically.

A new research hub

The goal is to facilitate closer collaboration across disciplines, research institutes, businesses, and the public sector. For NGI, Campus Ullevål is about both advancing its own research and creating an open meeting place for clients, partners, and those who will use the research findings.

“The challenges we need to solve are becoming larger and more complex. That means we have to work together. At the same time, digitalization and new technology are creating entirely new opportunities to develop knowledge and solutions together,” said Lars Andresen.

Collaboration with room for disagreement

The importance of collaboration was the topic of the panel discussion “Research as a Societal Mission” during the opening.

The panel brought together the leaders of NGI, NIVA, NORCE, and CICERO. The panel was led by moderator Ruth Astrid Sæter.

Pål Molander, CEO of NIVA, pointed out that research institutes both collaborate and compete. For that very reason, he finds it impressive that the organizations have succeeded in coming together at Campus Ullevål.

Christine Tørklep, Director of CICERO, highlighted the value of working across research communities, organizations, and sectors.

“Working across boundaries sparks creativity and creates learning that truly matters,” she said.

The research organizations also emphasized their role as independent providers of knowledge. Researchers should not make political decisions, but they should provide solid and verifiable evidence to support them. This also means being clear about uncertainty and transparent about how conclusions have been reached.

A physical meeting place in uncertain times

Camilla Stoltenberg, CEO of NORCE, emphasized that physical meeting places remain essential for fostering collaboration.

NORCE is headquartered in Bergen and has around 30 employees in Oslo. Stoltenberg described Campus Ullevål as a gateway to collaboration with research institutes, universities, SINTEF, hospitals, government agencies, and businesses.

“We need to learn to collaborate with far greater strength than before. Europe must build its own knowledge and capacity, and the research community must contribute,” Stoltenberg said.

An important part of Oslo Science City

Campus Ullevål is part of Oslo Science City, the innovation district stretching from Majorstuen to Gaustad. Its ambition is to connect research, education, business, and the public sector more closely.

Christine Wergeland Sørbye, CEO of Oslo Science City, believes Campus Ullevål will become an important hub for climate, energy, and environmental research.

“Highly accomplished research communities are coming together here, creating a strong foundation for collaboration among research organizations and with the business sector. Campus Ullevål will also become an important gateway to the entire innovation district,” Wergeland Sørbye said.

The business sector will play a central role in this community. Guro Bjøntegaard, General Manager of AstraZeneca Norway, described innovation as a demanding team sport in which people need to be close to one another to succeed.