University of Bergen and Institute of Marine Research signed an agreement for a new state of the art marine science park in Bergen Region.

signering Higher Ambitions

One of the most important focus areas in the Government’s long-term plan for research and higher education is the development of a larger number of world-class research groups in Norway. Modern buildings and state-of-the-art research infrastructure are critical for the development of world-class research groups. These are also important for attracting partners from trade and industry. Advanced scientific equipment in itself increases the potential for pioneering research.

The agreement signed by UiB and IMR will be particularly significant for developing top-notch marine research groups.  Providing a good framework for the development of world-class research groups within the long-term priority areas set out in the long-term plan – enabling technologies and the oceans.

Research in Bergen Region

The Bergen Region has the nation’s largest concentration of marine R&D resources in Europe, including a wide variety of infrastructure platforms such as seagoing ships and several advanced test facilities. The science community in this region receives nearly 60% of total public investment in marine R & D (3.2 BNOK) on a national scale, which per capita is far higher than any other European country. This agreement will strengthen  research co-operative efforts and includes extensive international networks with world-leading institutions in Europe, US, Japan and elsewhere. Repeated official evaluations of marine research in Norway rank the combined marine science community in Bergen as excellent, and put emphasis on the community’s ability to operate in the forefront of multiple fronts in the field of oceanography, ecosystem modeling, fisheries, climate or microbiology. The Cluster’s active participation in research provides a unique and invaluable access to cutting-edge science, which will be imperative if the goals of the project are to be reached.