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The Norwegian University of Science and Technology
(NTNU) in Trondheim represents academic eminence in
technology and the natural sciences as well as in other
academic disciplines ranging from the social sciences, the
arts, medicine, architecture to fine arts. Cross-disciplinary
cooperation results in ideas no one else has thought of,
and creative solutions that change our daily lives.
Read more at www.ntnu.no
Education 3 Role play for green energy 4 Students develop Supercar 4 Master’s in Molecular Medicine 5An education for the future 5Rise in doctorates 6 Discovered coal treasure for Statoil 6 Continuing education for leaders 7 How to be an entrepreneur 7 The Trondheim Academy of Fine Art: «Apparatus #1» 8
Research 9 Searching for cancer drugs 10Snake robot to the rescue 10The echo-free room 11 Supersuit from NTNU 11 A farewell to rats 12 Linguists in Ghana 12 Renewable energy on Buldra 13 Measuring forces with the waves 13 Wireless Trondheim 14 Located the sense of locality 15Best in Scandinavian Studies 15Drilling for oil in the Arctic 16 Takes care of the species 16
Innovation and Industry 17 From student project to million-sized enterprise 18 Success with silicon 18 SEC in the limelight 18 Absorbing sound with metal plates 19 New antibiotics 19 Entrepreneurs backed by Statoil 20Trondheim – city of search engines 20Powerful cooperation 20
Dissemination 21 Improvization for everybody 22 Techne to the people 23 Art at the Nathionaltheateret stasjon 23 Technoport – hi-tech festival 24 From movie to file 24 Hydropower in 17 volumes 25Researchers' Night in Trondheim 25Competence in dissemination 25 Chinese invasion 26 Gemini wins again 26 NTNU’s own cultural house 27 Ready for Poland 2006 27
Alumni 28
Organization 29 Contact information 29Key financial data 29 Organizational chart 30Faculties in brief 31
Produced and published by NTNU’s Information Division, June 2006.
Text: Beate Horg and Ragnhild Krogvig Karlsen. English edition: Randi O. Gamlemshaug and Stewart Clark.
Design/production: NTNU Info. Print: Tapir Uttrykk. Print: 6,500.
www.ntnu.no
Innovation and CreativityNTNU:
The pictures on the
front, back and above are
from this year’s recruitment
campaign at NTNU.
Photo: Geir Mogen.
This brochure presents some of NTNU’s various activities within
research, education, innovation and dissemination over the past year.
The brochure is published annually in Norwegian and English.
EducationNTNU is responsible for technological education in
Norway, awarding approximately 80 per cent of all Master
of Science/advanced engineering degrees in the country.
We specialize in technology and the natural sciences, but
we also offer a wide selection of programmes in fine art
and aesthetics as well as the humanities, social sciences,
economics and business, and public administration.
NTNU also has programmes of professional studies in
medicine, psychology, architecture, visual art, and music,
as well as a comprehensive teacher education programme.
In 2005, NTNU developed and tested its quality assurance
system (KVASS) for all aspects of teaching. It was launched
in spring 2006. Faculty-specific guidelines for the examination
system and the work on individual education plans for all
students have been established. Separate measures for
mathematics teaching in the technology programmes have
resulted in a significant decrease in the failure rate.
Key figures from 2005
✔ 58 000 applicants for university entrance
✔ 9000 primary applicants
✔ 20 000 enrolled students
✔ 3000 graduated
✔ 220 doctorates awarded
✔ 530 NTNU students studying abroad
✔ 650 international students at NTNU
Photos: Arild Juul
4Education NTNU 2006
We have reached 2017, and nobody invests
in new renewable energy sources any
longer. Neither in windmills nor in micro
hydroelectric power stations. Why not? Fif-
teen energy students occupy a computer
lab in Trondheim, staring gloomily at the
screens. They are in the middle of a role
play about the power market of the future.
The Norwegian Water Resources and
Energy Directorate (NVE) creates scenarios
of how the authorities can promote green
energy and have adopted a rather untradi-
tional method. It is called ‘experimental
economy’, a field that earned Vernon
Smith a Nobel Prize in 2002. Experimental
economy adopts the laboratory principle
as a tool for testing theories. Humans
enter as active participants to create real
situations. In role plays, the participants
provide an interesting picture of what
might happen in real life.
The NTNU students have been chosen
because they know how to play their roles
well. They know a lot about energy, and
they are familiar with using laboratories
when looking for answers.
The experiment starts in 2005 and ends
in 2020 – in the virtual world completed in
45 minutes. How can the economists be
sure the entire experiment does not end in
utter nonsense? Well, the role players are
paid for their efforts according to the
amount of money they earn in the game.
«The Green Certificate Market» deals
with the system of granting certificates to
producers of new renewable energy. The
certificates will function as securities in a
power market with fluctuating market pri-
ces, which makes the results relatively
unpredictable. The point of the game
includes determining the electricity price
that will provide adequate development,
and revealing the incentives that make
people choose green energy. The role
players have certain premises they must
play by, such as the number of green cer-
tificates, quota sizes or the prices for
energy consumption. Then, it is time for
investing, buying and selling. The more
genuine the motivation, the more realistic
the actions and situations.
Project leader Klaus Vogstad and the
students at the Department of Energy and
Process Engineering have conducted seve-
ral experiments, and their work has resul-
ted in specific recommendations for NVE.
Illustration: NTNU Info/Lars Hegdal
NTNU cooperates with Bård Eker Indus-
trial Design in Fredrikstad. They combine
education and recruitment for the benefit
of all parties involved. Several former
students have started work within this
exciting environment designing anything
from video projectors to boats that practi-
cally fly on the surface. The Swedish car
manufacturer Koenigsegg has commissi-
oned these students for a new design and
a technological platform for their car.
Professor Terje Rølvåg at the Department
of Engineering Design and Materials
Science explains why the students are so
sought after by this industry. «For several
years, our Department has built up car
engineering expertise through cooperati-
on with international car manufacturers
and Norwegian suppliers to the car indus-
try. Our research includes both design
and production, and we develop software
for the virtual testing of car parts.»
Students develop Supercar
Seven engineering students from NTNU are involved in the development of a new
’Grease Lightning’ – a car that will set speed records of 400 km/h and higher.
Photo: NTNU Info/Arne Asphjell
NEED FOR SPEED: Rølvåg and Eker by the Koenigsegg carthat sat a speed record with 388 km/h earlier this year. The goal for the new model is to exceed 400 km/h.
Role play for green energy
Education5
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An education for the futureAn advanced engineer in nanotechnology solves challenges we are not yet aware of. The sky is the limit.
The new advanced engineering programme
in nanotechnology at NTNU is as future-
oriented as it gets. With this knowledge,
students will solve riddles that could
result in new medication and clean energy.
This is the first time a programme of
this kind is offered by a Norwegian
university, and the students will become
the first advanced engineers in nano-
technology in Norway.
Roughly speaking, nanotechnology
deals with the study and manipulation of
molecules and atoms. The technology
provides insight into an invisible world of
fantastic opportunities, and by using the
proper tools the students can design
materials with special properties. For
this reason, the programme has an inter-
disciplinary profile and the students are
taught numerous related subjects.
Nanotechnology will form a
natural part of our future in many
different areas, including the
development of technology within
environment and energy, communications
technology, and medical technology.
This education offers a wide range
of professional careers within industry,
future-oriented business activities,
and research.
The nanotechnology students will also learn how this instrument works – a Scanning Tunnelling Microscope (STM)
used for detecting microscopic organisms regardless of the material’s temperature.
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Master’s in Molecular MedicineThe thriving development within
medical technology increases the
need for specialization within laboratory
work. NTNU offers the first Master’s
Degree programme in Molecular
Medicine in Norway.
Are you wondering what exactly
happens in our cells when we are sick?
Or what our genes can reveal about
our tolerance to medication? Ask a
molecular physician.
The mapping of the human DNA was
a turning point. Knowledge about genes
has become relevant within all fields. We
keep learning increasingly more about
molecules in living organisms, how they
function and interact. One of those who
has been part of this revolution is
Professor Are Dalen at the Department
of Laboratory Medicine at NTNU. He
emphasizes the great need for highly
trained specialists.
«The Faculty of Medicine used to
offer molecular genetics and biochemis-
try at master’s level, but this offer is
now replaced by a separate Master’s
programme.»
The first ten students started
in the autumn of 2005. «These
students are the future hospital
laboratory leaders. This programme
also provides teaching qualifications
in an area that is much in demand,»
Dalen stresses.
The aim of the degree programme
is to develop knowledge and skills which
are useful both in research and practical
clinical work. In the longer term, this
will contribute to the increased under-
standing of processes, diagnostics, and
treatment of diseases.
The teaching is provided by the
Faculty of Natural Sciences and
Technology and by the Faculty of
Medicine in cooperation with the bio-
engineering programme at Sør-Trønde-
lag University College. Experts from
other educational institutions with
background from different special
fields will also contribute.
6Education NTNU 2006
Photo: NTNU Info/Rune Petter Ness
Rise in doctoratesMore people are aiming for the highest
academic degree. Last year saw the defence of
more than 800 doctoral theses at Norwegian
universities and university colleges. NTNU and
the University of Oslo are experiencing the
highest increase, primarily within medicine,
mathematics and the natural sciences.
The percentage of female candidates
is also rising. Last year, it was 40 percent
– which equals the 2002 figure, the best
year ever. The doctoral candidates have a
strong international profile which is new to
the academic environments. Looking back
at 1991, five per cent of the candidates
were foreign nationals. The percentage
today exceeds 20.
The exact figures show a constant rise in
the number of people defending their the-
ses. A total of 855 completed their doctorate
last year, as against 782 the previous year.
This is an increase of nine per cent since
2004. Looking back at 2003, the increase is
a remarkable 18 per cent.
The doctoral degree register at NIFU
STEP keeps track of all doctoral degrees
awarded by Norwegian educational instituti-
ons since 1817.
Discovered coal treasure for StatoilFour NTNU students had the best summer
job ever at Statoil as they helped map coal
deposits on the Norwegian continental
shelf (NCS). After eight weeks, Helene
Wendelbo, Kari Faksvåg, Halvor Bunkholdt
Sæter and Trond Kristian Kalsø had
discovered 3,000 billion tonnes of coal.
That is three times more than all known,
recoverable coal in the world.
«For a long time, geologists have sus-
pected that the Norwegian Sea contained
major coal reserves. Now, they have put
a figure on it, making the nation aware of
the resources out there. If we recover 0.5
per cent of the coal reserves from the
North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the
Barents Sea, we will get more energy than
provided by the oil and gas on the NCS
combined,» says the leader of the student
project, Olav Kårstad, Energy Advisor at
Statoil New Energy.
The students examined 600 wells, and
found the largest deposit under the oil-
field at Haltenbanken. The coal is deposi-
ted deep in the sea bed, at depths of
1,500–4,000 metres.
Indeed, another generation may pass
before we have the technology to recover
these coal deposits, not to mention doing
it in an environmentally friendly manner.
Statoil will continue the mapping and
conduct research to find out how to best
exploit these reserves.
Education7
NTNU 2006
This unique programme cultivates the
Scandinavian model of management and
focuses on the effects of technological
changes on different society levels.
The Master’s programme in Orga-
nization and Management is based on
experience and gathers several of
NTNU’s offers within continuing edu-
cation under one umbrella. The program-
me consists of modules that can be
completed as a whole or taken individual-
ly. Thus, the master’s degree is a
continuing education for students
who wish to combine work and
education, and the programme has
many options.
As the programme is designed for
people working full-time, the department
for continuing education at NTNU –
NTNU Videre – has developed tailored
teaching plans for individual establish-
ments. The courses are therefore arran-
ged all over the country – so far in
Trondheim, Oslo, Sandefjord and
Stavanger, and more than 400 exams
have been taken.
The content of the course is highly
varied. These are a few examples:
Management and Strategy; Project Risk
Management; Organizational Design
using IT; International Business Develop-
ment; and Production Systems, Automa-
tion and Industrial Development.
Continuing education for leaders
NTNU’s Master’s programme in Organization and Management is based on the fact
that values are created in interaction between technology, people and society.
The Entrepreneur School is a popularprogramme at NTNU, and an importantcontribution to boosting innovation.
The education is taken in the fourth andfifth years of the advanced engineering pro-gramme, and only 18 students are admittedeach year. The admission is based on gra-des, a written application and interviews,and only the highest motivated studentsslip through the eye of the needle. Somestudents already have an idea ready whenwriting their applications, but most of themstart their studies looking for 'the right'idea. This work is both time-consumingand exhausting, and the students learn howto use their network and their critical skills.
The students at the Entrepreneur Schoolmay choose among several interdisciplina-ry courses and subjects such as internatio-nalization, marketing, strategic negotiati-ons, and negotiating techniques are cen-tral. The students work ‘out in the field’throughout the entire programme – ateaching method Gro and Stian appreciate.
«We get to test marketing and sales, welearn how to identify the potential of an ideaand work with research environments aswell as industry. That is quite different fromjust reading theory ...»
The Entrepreneur School is part of theDepartment of Industrial Economics and
Technology Management (IØT).
Gro Kleveland (26) and Stian Remåd
(25) are freshmen at NTNU’s Entre-
preneur School - a master’s pro-
gramme aiming to create values in
the shape of new knowledge, tech-
nological progress and workplaces.
How to be an entrepreneur
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8Education NTNU 2006
The Trondheim Academy of Fine Art: «Apparatus #1»On the exhibition «Turbulence» at the gallery KiT the public functioned as sculptures – they were
quite simply vacuum-packed. The artist behind this installation is first-year student Kristoffer Myskja.
ResearchNTNU is at the forefront of technological research and
education in Norway, with its foundation in the natural
sciences. Our goal is to ensure that Norwegian technolo-
gical competence remains at a high level internationally.
In 2004, an international investigation revealed that the
technological research at NTNU is of a very high quality.
In addition to being leading within technology, NTNU also
has the most extensive university environment in the fine
arts and aesthetics.
NTNU puts a premium on interdisciplinary cooperation
across all academic disciplines: technology, the fine arts,
the humanities, medicine, social science, architecture,
and natural science.
The academic disciplines at NTNU and SINTEF cooperate
in research, innovation and business development at 15
Gemini centres.
Key figures from 2005
✔ 2200 approved scientific publications
✔ 1850 research projects
✔ 46 research projects in the EU’s 5th and 6th framework programmes
✔ 6 strategic areas
✔ 15 Gemini centres in cooperation with SINTEF
✔ 3 Centres of Excellence
Photos (from the top):
– NTNU Info/Rune Petter Ness
– Department of Chemical Engineering
– NTNU SA/Kim Nygård
10Research NTNU 2006
Snake robot to the rescueImagine a robot that can climb stairs,
force its way past beams and twist itself
around corners. With its built-in water tap
it pumps water in multiple directions. The
snake robot is moved by a hydraulic water
pressure of 100 bar – enough to elevate a
car. It can move in places where even the
bravest of fire-fighters must give in and
humans cannot enter: in places with
extreme heat and danger of explosions,
or in underwater oil installations.
«The snake’s advantage is that is
moves with suppleness through rugged
terrain. They don’t get caught in things.
A human creature with legs or wheels
would be easier to make, but we found
inspiration with the reptiles,» says Project
Manager Øyvind Stavdahl. In the attempt
to transfer this primitive animal’s nervous
system and movements to robot techno-
logy, the scientists simultaneously open
a totally new theoretical field. It is
engineering cybernetics that opens such
new possibilities and inventions.
SINTEF and NTNU are leading re-
search institutions in this type of bio-
inspired robot technology. Extensive
cooperation with universities and insti-
tutes in northern Europe has already
been initiated. Participants include
NTNU, SINTEF, ETH Zurich, Fraunhofer,
Tampere University of Technology,
Sheffield Hallam University, and the
Technical University of Denmark.
Photo: NTNU Info/Rune Petter Ness
The Department of Cancer Research and
Molecular Medicine at NTNU leave the
mice alone. Instead, they use an electro-
nic laboratory. By using mathematical
calculations and computer simulation,
chemical engineers at NTNU can discover
whether a substance has the necessary
qualities and properties for medical use
before practical testing.
«Right now, we are looking for new
substances for cancer drugs. We started
off with a base of 250,000 chemical
compounds and narrowed it down to
1,200 substances for further testing. The
computer program simulates how the
chemical substances may affect our
bodies. After one year we are left with
eight substances that hopefully will form
the basis of a new drug,» says Post doc.
Kristin Tøndel.
Using normal laboratory tests on mice
to find a good candidate among 250,000
chemical compounds would have taken
close to 10,000 years.
Searching for cancer drugs
Developing new medication costs time, money and pain. An electronic laboratory can
perform 10,000 years of testing in one year, and at the same time spare many animal lives.
The snake robot, here in SINTEF researcher
Pål Liljebäck’s lap, has 20 hydraulic motors.
Research11
NTNU 2006
Supersuit from NTNU
Cross-country skier Marit Bjørgen strikes again. In winter 2006, she leads the world cup for the second year in a row and the final sprint often earns her a victory.
Lars Sætran and Sveinung Løset at theDepartment of Energy and Process Engin-
eering are researching into surfaces andair resistance. They estimate that her suitcould save her from 3 to 14 seconds on a15-kilometre race. Inspired by the aero-dynamic properties of a golf ball, they putthe sewing machines to work. Two yearsof research with testing in NTNU’s wind
tunnel lies behind the result: The surfaceis smooth over the hips, stomach, chestand back, and rough on the calves, knees,thighs and arms.
The ski suit has been developed incooperation between the ski wax producerSwix and the two professors.
In this special laboratory at NTNU/SINTEF,
complete stillness prevails. The walls,
floor and ceiling are clad with a one-metre
thick layer of mineral wool. Practically all
sound that hits the surface is absorbed,
and very little is reflected. The experience
is very special – a different world?
The echo-free room built in 1963,
was for a long time the only one of its
kind in Norway.
It can be used for sound recording
or accurate sound measuring without
interference from the surroundings. A
hi-fi expert would prick his or her ears
to measuring such things as frequency
response and radiation patterns for
loudspeakers. Do we have headphones
that can reproduce the exact acoustic
experience from a concert stage? We
can investigate that here.
The echo-free room
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When fighting against the clock, margins count. Who wouldn’t want to give Marit Bjørgen a little tailwind on the home straight?
12Research NTNU 2006
At regular intervals, rats are flooding corn fields and destroying crops that could have provided
food for almost two million people. They ravage poor agricultural countries like a plague.
Economist Anders Skonhoft from NTNU
joined biologists from the universities in
Oslo and Copenhagen and examined the
problem as an ecological-economic tangle.
The local farmers try to exterminate the
rats by using poison, but they attack too
late. With correct timing they could finish
off the rats and halve the expenses.
Economists and ecologists have a com-
mon technique, which involves modelling
their way to new insight and strategies.
Experience from the game and predator
management in Norway is transferred to
the cross-disciplinary research on rat
control in Africa. Biologists provide local
knowledge: What characterizes the rat’s
behaviour? What makes the stock breed
and behave like a swarm of locusts? How
do farmers grow their corn, and what do
they do to fight the rats? Does the climate
affect the situation? Ecologists and econo-
mists look at the expenses for seed corn,
fertilizers, and rat poison, which are
important in a relatively poor local society.
All finds are combined in a complex
system, which unravels the tangle and
provides an overview.
The rats usually attack several times a
year, but the farmers must strike when
the seed corn is about to be sown. The
growth on the corn field and the explosive
breeding among the rats both depend on
the same factor: rain. In a climate that
otherwise is dry, rain causes dramatic
consequences when it occurs. The key to
success lies with the farmers and their
ability to coordinate their efforts – an area
into which the cross-disciplinary partners
will conduct further research.
The research results have been
published in the journal Environment and
Development Economics, no. 3, 2006.
A farewell to rats
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Learning how to read and write is easiest
when you can use your mother tongue.
But what if your first language lacks an
alphabet and books?
In Ghana, a country with close to 40
languages, linguists from NTNU are invol-
ved with a long-term project to develop a
practice of writing for languages that lack
this aspect. At the same time, they investi-
gate how languages such as Ewe, Akan,
Buli and Dagaare are composed, and initi-
ate the writing of dictionaries. The project
supports the academic linguistic research
already in progress at the University of
Ghana, at the same time as it will streng-
then the alphabetizing at grass-root level.
«We work on several levels. Step one is
to provide an alphabet to the languages
that do not have one. The next step is the
development of electronic dictionaries that
can be printed on any printer. Then, we
will develop computer tools that will in-
crease our possibilities of using the lang-
uages actively and research them. Useful
functions such as spell checks, grammar
control and search bases can be develo-
ped from scratch,» says Professor Lars
Hellan at the Department of Language and
Communication Studies.
This interactive type of language re-
search has borne fruit. People are taught
basic reading and writing skills at the
same time as they help creating their own
written language. The language training is
combined with other types of knowledge.
A reading session could at the same time
be a lesson in farming. In this way, many
of the men and women who participate
acquire double competence.
Linguists in Ghana
Research13
NTNU 2006
One of NTNU’s three Centres of Excellen-
ce, the Centre for Ships and Ocean Struc-
tures (CeSOS), is co-localized with the
Department. The research group at CeSOS
works across departments and is compo-
sed of experts from NTNU, MARINTEK
and SINTEF. The Research Council of
Norway has chosen to prioritize the
Centres of Excellence in order to stimulate
research at top international level. This
characterizes CeSOS, which was granted
its status in 2002 for ten years.
In a global field such as offshore and
ship technology, it is quite natural that the
Centre should attract international atten-
tion. Researchers from all over the world
come here to cooperate on theoretical
and experimental tests. Southeast Asia
is heavily represented in this academic
environment with doctoral candidates and
researchers from China, Japan and Singa-
pore, just to mention a few.
The future unveils new possibilities at
sea, but this involves challenges. The
ships will be faster, more powerful and
safer at the same time. The environment
will be taken care of. The platforms will
perform new tasks. Aquaculture with the
farming of seafood could become a new,
important industrial sector, but that requi-
res the tools so that they can be designed
to stand the forces of the sea. CeSOS
emphasizes the exploitation of knowledge
from different disciplines such as hydrody-
namics, construction mechanics, statistics,
and cybernetics to solve the challenges.
Cooperation between marine techno-
logists and materials technologists
could also prove beneficial. In the search
for better materials, aluminium is a
treasure. This light metal could almost
replace steel in the future. It is ductile,
corrosion resistant and can be recycled
– and it is strong. Fibre-reinforced plastic
is another possibility.
Ships, oil drilling platforms, and pipelines must stand a tough existence in storms and rough seas.
At NTNU, the Department of Marine Technology helps to provide solid buildings and safe ocean structures.
Measuring forces with the waves
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Platforms like Buldra will make wavepower
equally profitable as hydroelectric power.
The secret lies in the red plastic balls floa-
ting on the surface between the platform
legs. When the plastic balls are set in moti-
on by the waves, the platform transforms
the energy into electricity. This is Fred.
Olsen’s idea, and NTNU and SINTEF contri-
bute with many of the technological solu-
tions that make Buldra an efficient test plat-
form. She is made of fibre glass, is desig-
ned to operate for 12 years and functions
without a crew. The plan is to build a full-
scale wave platform and put it in operation
outside Karmøy in 2008. The platforms are
constructed with new combinations of
materials and with technology for a new
energy era. Behind this project is NTNU’s
Centre for Ships and Ocean Structures that
works on problems related to Buldra.
Renewable energy on BuldraShe may resemble an oil rig, but her production
concerns something quite different from oil.
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14Research NTNU 2006
The time is ripe for the comprehensive
exploration of wireless communication,
and retail equipment associated with
wireless connections has become more
available.
Wireless Trondheim will make the city
more attractive, both for students and
technology-based industry, but equally
important is the fact that this will become
an extensive and innovative research
programme named Trimaks.
The aim is to create a world-class
laboratory for research and development.
The programme will also contribute to the
development of future-oriented Norwe-
gian business activities with expertise in
wireless technologies and services.
A special group will work on potential
business ideas for wireless technology.
«We will use Wireless Trondheim as a
research arena,» says Professor Steinar
Andresen, head of Trimax Net Laboratory.
Andresen counts on finding more industri-
al actors as partners, such as Google,
Nera, and Movation. John Krogstie will do
research into new services in cooperation
with the Norwegian Public Roads Admi-
nistration. Analyses of the traffic and wire-
less communication of traffic information
to motorist are fields they would like to
test. For the university, interactive notice
boards are relevant.
Trimaks has three components:
• Trondheim BroadBandCommon (Trond-
heim BBA) – this project will develop the
experimental wireless broadband network
in the city.
• Trimaks Net Laboratory – a project
testing new communication technology
for wireless broadband networks.
• Trimaks Information Services – a pro-
ject developing new services connected
to the wireless broadband network.
Faculty Dean Arne Sølvberg is
responsible for the Trimaks programme,
and coordinator for the programme is
Tore R. Jørgensen. Four partners are
behind Wireless Trondheim:
The City of Trondheim, Sør-Trøndelag
County Council, Mid-Norway Chamber of
Commerce and Industry, and NTNU.
Wireless TrondheimThe vision of making Trondheim one of the first wireless cities in the world is about to be put into action. According
to the plan, from the beginning of the semester on 15 August 2006 there will be wireless areas in the city centre, on
campus and on the bus route from the centre via the Gløshaugen campus to the Dragvoll campus.
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Research15
NTNU 2006
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Headed by Edvard and May-Britt Moser,
the research group at the Centre for the
Biology of Memory discovered how the
neurons in a particular part of the brain
combine information about direction,
distance, and location. When we are
moving in an environment, the cells
estimate where we are at all times. They
create an inner map of the environment.
For 30 years, researchers have been
searching for the neurons in the brain that
contribute to our sense of locality. The
discovery is so sensational that the journal
Nature wrote a feature story about it. This
knowledge could become important in the
treatment of e.g. Alzheimer’s disease.
«We have known that cells in the hip-
pocampus, that part of our brain that is
important for storing everyday memory,
are active when we are in a particular
place. But the ‘locality computer’ we now
have discovered, lies in a totally different
part of the brain. It is called the entorhinal
cortex, has the size of a small finger, and
lies approximately where the temporal
lobe curls inwards. The unique feature of
this part of the brain is that it functions as
a communication centre between the hip-
pocampus and the rest of the cortex,»
says Professor Edvard Moser.
The experiments were performed on
rats that ran around on different courses.
A camera was filming the movements at
the same time as super-sensitive, tiny
sensors measured each time a cell in the
rat brain emitted signals.
«What we discovered is that the signals
make a checker-worked imprint of the
area where the rats were moving. No
matter where the rats went, the brain
made this checker work, even when they
moved in the dark,» Moser says. «Imagine
coming up from an unknown subway sta-
tion. You immediately look for a landmark
to figure out directions and your position.
The moment you find it, your inner map is
calibrated, and things fall into place,»
explains Edvard Moser.
Success at the Centre for the Biology of Memory: After 30 years of searching,
researchers have discovered the neurons that produce our sense of locality.
Located the sense of locality
Clear research management. Clear
strategies. Dynamic interdisciplinary
environments and fruitful innovation.
Those were the praising words employed
when the Research Council of Norway
recently evaluated the Scandinavian
Studies at Norwegian universities and
university colleges. They singled out the
research at NTNU’s Department of
Scandinavian Studies and Comparative
Literature as one of the best in the country.
The Department is praised for its active
and successful recruitment policy and for
the good distribution of age and gender
among its researchers. The Department is
relatively small, with only 10 scientific
staff, but their research projects are
ranked at the highest level. The depart-
mental expertise ranges from Ibsen and
the literary foundation to a special focus on
literature criticism. The linguistic wing is at
the forefront with research on interaction
between different language cultures in
Norway. The projects cut right into
today’s bubbling linguistic melting pot:
One of the projects is mapping the influen-
ce of immigrant languages, another looks
at epoch-marking meetings between
English and Norwegian. Since NTNU
emphasizes its scientific and techno-
logical profile, we find it particularly
rewarding to be acknowledged for our
pioneering work in the humanities.
Best in Scandinavian Studies
16Research NTNU 2006
By the end of 2006, the Norwegian Bio-diversity Information Centre (Artsdata-banken) will update the so-called Red Listof vulnerable and threatened species andecosystems. Nobody has had an overview of this since 1998.
The Norwegian environment mayinclude as much as 60,000 species ofplants and animals, but only 40,000 areknown and registered. At the same time,numerous species disappear every year. As many as 500 species of butterflies are at risk, and so are an unknown number
of plants and animals. Even entire eco-systems disappear.
The loss of biodiversity is regarded asone of the largest environmental problemstoday. Through the Rio Convention, Norwayis committed to work both nationally andinternationally to stop the loss of biodiversi-ty by 2010. This is the background for theGovernment’s initiative to establish an inde-pendent knowledge provider. The Centre inTrondheim will provide society with updatedknowledge on Norwegian plant and animalspecies.
The Centre does not perform the scien-tific mapping itself, but collects knowledgefrom strong academic environments. TheMuseum of Natural History and Archaeolo-gy at NTNU is one of the partners. Thedepots and databases at museums, rese-arch departments, administrative bodies,and voluntary organizations include largeamounts of information and data whichhave been collected for over 100 years. TheCentre’s main task is to make the knowled-ge understandable, applicable and availablefor everyone. See www.artsdatabanken.no
Major petroleum resources are hidden
under the sea off northern Norway. If we
lift our gaze further north, we will proba-
bly find even more. The US Geology Survey
has estimated that one quarter of the
undiscovered hydrocarbon sources in the
world is located in the Arctic. An area of 12
million square kilometres lies there,
mostly covered in ice. With rising tempera-
tures and ice melting, these areas could
become available for oil and gas explorati-
on. The countries bordering the Arctic, i.e.
Canada, the USA, Russia, Greenland
(Denmark), and Norway are all actively
trying to discover whether there are petro-
leum deposits on their continental shelves.
Potential oil production is far ahead.
Before it can happen, there is a great
need for more knowledge and expertise.
At present, we do not have the technology
available to tackle the extreme conditions
or protect the vulnerable environment
in the Arctic.
In 2004, NTNU started the BRU project
(Better Resource Utilization) in order to
develop a strategy for the future research
and education within the exploration and
extraction of oil and gas. In the autumn of
2005, the report was presented and well
received by the Government, represented
by the Minister of Petroleum and Energy
Thorhild Widvey. More than 50 oil compa-
nies, contractors, and organizations as
well as the authorities and the Research
Council of Norway have been consulted
during the preparation of the report.
«We do not wish to enter the political
debate with this report, but we have
emphasized the needs for research which
will lead to better resource utilization on
the Norwegian continental shelf. Our
priority is to map the actual conditions
and ensure that technical solutions will be
developed to make sure any exploration
and extraction take place under safe
conditions, considering the environment as
well as safety,» says Professor Jon Kleppe,
Head of the Department of Petroleum Eng-
ineering and Applied Geophysics at NTNU.
The university will now focus their petro-
leum research on four strategic areas:
• Exploration and extraction
• Drilling and subsea technology
• Integrated operations and land-
based control
• Arctic technology
In order to facilitate the cooperation
between SINTEF and NTNU on petroleum
research, a new Gemini Centre has been
established. The two research institutions
will pool their resources within petroleum
research here. The Gemini Centre will
gradually accommodate 200 researchers
and produce annual efforts worth some
NOK 200 million.
Drilling for oil in the Arctic
Takes care of the species
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InnovationNTNU places great emphasis on research and develop-
ment in close cooperation with Norwegian industry, and
offers 27 courses on innovation. NTNU students have won
several competitions and been awarded prizes related to
innovation. They also stimulate innovation through their
own association ‘Start NTNU’.
NTNU participates in the Innovasjon Midt-Norge project
with industry in Leksvik, Verdal and Orkanger. The
students contribute with project assignments and work
placements to assist the development of the enterprises
in the project. At the same time, the students gain
relevant experience.
Key figures from 2005
✔ 450 research projects in cooperation with industry
✔ NOK 150 million in industrial funds to NTNU in 2005
✔ 150 new business ideas registered
✔ 14 new businesses established as spin-offsNTNU/SINTEF
and industry
Photos (from the top):
– NTNU Info/Rune Petter Ness
– Getty Images
– NTNU Info/Rune Petter Ness
18Innovation and industry NTNU 2006
Endre Kvalheim and Anders Ytterland runa firm called Byks which has developedthe revolutionary fish farm OceanGlobe.This is a ball-shaped fish farm for off-shore farming of multiple fish species that can be used all over the world. Today,the farm is marketed and produced on alicence from Byks by a company calledOceanGlobe AS.
In November 2005, the funding for the
production of the fish farm was guaranteed,and this meant that the winners of the Ven-ture Cup in 2003 have travelled from an idea to million-sized enterprise, just likeseveral other spin-offs from NTNU’s innovation environment.
Byks is currently building a full-scalefish farm (40,000 square metres) nearVågsøy/Stad – one of the toughest seaareas in the world. The building costs
approximately NOK 11 million, andaccording to plan, the first commercialfarm will be delivered to customers in summer 2006.
Byks is also engaged as one of thepartners behind Fjord Inkubator AS, acounty incubator for innovative industry in the County of Sogn og Fjordane. Thecompany’s future activities are beingcontinuously evaluated.
From student project to million-sized enterpriseThree years ago, Endre Kvalheim and Anders Ytterland met through the interdisciplinary course Experts in Team
and the village «Smart aquaculture». Now, they are building the world’s first open-sea fish farming globe.
The technology, named ‘SECurus’, makes
it possible to remove the influence of the
motion of a boat on the searchlight’s ray,
so that the ray can be ‘locked’ on one
object even in very rough sea.
«By means of cybernetic control
systems, the searchlight is stabilized
according to the motion of the vessel, and
it can be moved totally unaffected by the
motion of the boat. Then add functionality
and equipment that previously could not
be used in maritime environments
due to the demanding dynamics at sea,
such as the function ‘lock on target’ and
automatic illumination of seamarks and
danger elements during crossings. By
stabilizing an IR camera, we can monitor
large areas down to one metre where
SECurus automatically detects any people
or objects in the water,» says entrepre-
neur Lars Andre Solberg. Together with
the two fellow students, Jonas Aamodt
Moræus and Håkon Skjelten, he establis-
hed the firm Solberg Embedded Cyberne-
tics in spring 2005.
The market potential for this product
is absolutely present – today, search-
lights are manual, and handling them
requires large crew resources. There is
stabilization technology available, but it
is expensive. According to the entrepre-
neurs, the new system will be much less
expensive and feature numerous additio-
nal functions. The system is patented in
Norway and the USA, and a prototype of
SECurus is just around the corner.
The firm Solberg Embedded Cybernetics (SEC) has developed a searchlight that can
hold the ray stable in rough sea. The wide range of application includes increased
safety during crossings and in operations where lives are at stake.
SEC in the limelight
Three happy entrepreneurs behind a good product.
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CruSin has developed a unique crucible
concept for silicon, and the industrial group
in Orkdal has displayed great interest inthis new development. If everything goesaccording to plan, CruSin – currentlylocated at Gløshaugen Innovation Centre – will move its activities to Orkanger.
The business idea behind CruSin is uni-que. They develop and sell a new crucibleconcept for silicon – a material which isused for solar cells and other purposes.
The current crucibles in use are made ofquartz, but they are expensive and can onlybe used once. Silicon, on the other hand,which is much less expensive than quartz,can be used several times and representsmajor cost reductions for the clients.
CruSin already cooperates with theindustry group’s three silicon giants: Holla Metall, Elkem Thamshavn and OrklaExolon (owned by Washington Mills Co).They produce silicon worth NOK 1.2 billion
at the production plants in Orkdalen. Over 90 per cent is exported, and in totalthese enterprises provide 360 man-labour years.
NTNU and SINTEF have also initiatedcooperation with the industrial environ-ment through the project «DevelopingSilicon Group in the Orkladal Region». The aim is to promote new business start-ups, up to 100 new workplaces, and added value of NOK 400 million.
Great things are happening in the silicon environment in Orkanger. The aim is to
head the international party, and the NTNU-based enterprise CruSin is invited.
Success with silicon
Innovation and industry19
NTNU 2006
Photo: NTNU Info/Nina Tveter
The soil bacterium Streptomyces produces
the substance nystatin just like a small
chemical factory. This is an antibiotic that
can be used in medication for human
fungus infections. The new company uses
genetic technology to manipulate the
molecules to develop variants of nystatin
which are less poisonous than today’s
fungicidal antibiotics, and thus will cause
fewer side effects. This will help patients
who are HIV positive, cancer patients and
those with organ transplants – patient
groups which are more exposed to
serious fungus infections than others
because of reduced immune defence.
The main person behind the research
results is Sergey Zotchev, Associate
Professor at NTNU’s Department of
Biotechnology.
Biosergen AS will adopt a new
biotechnological tool. The method
will enable the special design of mole-
cules that are otherwise impossible
to create. These molecules enter the
soil bacteria and change their DNA so
that they produce new variants of the
nystatin molecule.
SINTEF’s seed corn fund and the
holding company of the medical university
Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm own
50 per cent each of the newly established
company in Trondheim. The researchers
believe they will need NOK 50—80 million
to complete the development of the anti-
biotic, but once the new drug is on the
market it could generate billions.
New antibioticsResearch on the core of a soil bacterium led to a new spin-off from NTNU and SINTEF. Using gene technology,
the newly established company Biosergen AS will make antibiotics with new healing properties.
Architects will love them. People with aller-
gies will have an easier life. The aesthetic,
sound-deadening plates without fibres that
cause allergy and asthma are an acoustic
surprise. The idea resulted in Bjørn Fløtre,
Pål Ove Henden and Ole-Christian Drage
getting the green light for establishing and
developing a new enterprise.
DeAmp is the name of the sound-
deadening panel that can reduce echo and
noise level in a room. Sound-deadening
plates are usually made of porous materi-
als. DeAmp does quite the opposite, and
muffles sound with hard materials such
as metal, plastics, glass and plexiglass.
The health benefits could be significant
because microscopic fibres from sound-
deadening materials may cause respiratory
problems. Numerous schools and offices
today muffle sound with plates that gradu-
ally release fibres to the air.
Product Developer Bjørn André Fløtre
envisages a creative application of the
plates in a room. While common sound-
deadening plates are visibly perforated,
these plates appear smooth to the eye.
The three entrepreneurs have their
academic background from the Product
Development and Engineering Cybernetics
programme at the Department of Industri-
al Economics and Technology Management
at NTNU. SINTEF Acoustics has further
developed the invention.
Absorbing sound with metal plates
While the remaining domestic IT industry
suffered from a broken back from 2001 to
2004, things were stirring in the Trondheim
region. The number of people employed
within IT increased by 50 per cent, and the
turnover continued to rise. The Mid-Nor-
way Chamber of Commerce and Industry
has characterized the growth as incredible.
Then came the boom: The search engine
giant Google established an office in Trond-
heim with their own research and develop-
ment department. As Yahoo and Fast are
doing the same thing, Trondheim has beco-
me a centre for search technology in Europe.
The strong academic environment at
NTNU plays a significant role.
«Trondheim is renowned as a techno-
logy town, and NTNU is naturally of impor-
tance. Besides, Trondheim appears exotic
to some of our international staff,» says
Magne Risvik, head of Google’s R&D
department.
Trondheim has for a long time fostered
talents in computing and technology. As a
start, the Google centre has employed 20
new staff. Graduates from NTNU form a
large part of their recruitment base.
20Innovation and industry NTNU 2006
According to the CEO Asgeir J. Sørensen,
this opens for enormous market potential
for their patented technology.
«Norway is leading the field of R&D
within oil, gas and marine technology, and
Marine Cybernetics will create many
industrial workplaces based on the engin-
eering competence at NTNU.»
The four NTNU professors (from the
right) Olav Egeland, Asgeir J. Sørensen,
Tor Arne Johansen and Thor I. Fossen are
behind Marine Cybernetics. They all have a
background from engineering cybernetics
and marine technology.
Marine Cybernetic’s business idea
is independent testing and verification
of control systems in ships and off-
shore installations by means of new
technology based on the Hardware-In-
the-Loop (HIL) testing. This method
represents a significant quality improve-
ment in testing and verification of
advanced technology with data-based
systems. The clients include suppliers,
shipyards, shipping companies, contrac-
tors, and oil companies.
In October 2005, the news spread that Statoil Innovation stepped in as co-owner of the NTNU
company Marine Cybernetics, and the value was estimated at a respectable NOK 53 million.
Entrepreneurs backed by Statoil
Trondheim – city of search engines
Wave power has enormous potential, butso far, good technology to exploit thisenergy has been lacking. One central pro-blem is that the energy content in wavescan be very high in certain periods, andthe generators must be able to deal withthat. The generator from Pelagic Powerdraws the energy from the waves on thesurface and sends it to pumps down in thewater. This means that the pumps are pro-tected from the violent forces on the sur-face. The pumps are not anchored on thesea bed – they ‘float’ in the water. The seawater is pumped through robust pipes intoa turbine that can be placed on land. Onegenerator should be able to supply 1,000
houses with electricity. The generator isamong other things based on technologyfrom hydropower and fish farms.
Behind the sensational idea is DagfinnRøyset, manager of Lycro, a company inLeksvika. When he got the idea of thewave-powered generator, he establishedcontact with NTNU Technology TransferAS (TTO) to get help with the technologicaldevelopment. Today he cooperates withTTO and several other researchers to fur-ther develop the project, which receivesfunding from Enova.
If everything goes according to plan, afull-scale pilot generator will be up andrunning by 2009.
Wave power may have greater energy potential than wind power. Now the
company Pelagic Power AS is running tests on a completely new type of
wave-powered generator. Amazing what results you get when you combine
a good idea, some money, and a handful of NTNU researchers...
Powerful cooperation
Statoil Innovation has stepped in as co-owner of Marine Cyber-netics, which the company entrepreneurs are very pleased with.
Dagfinn Røyset had an idea and contacted NTNU ...
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DisseminationThe university holds a vital social position through its dis-
semination of culture and research. Among NTNU’s most
important responsibilities is the crafting of a more posi-
tive image of technology and the natural sciences, as well
as student recruitment within its central areas of respon-
sibility. Here, contact with the mass media is important,
and last year, some 100 NTNU researchers participated
on media training courses.
The university’s own publications such as the research
journal Gemini, Spor (Footprints) and the web news-
paper universitetsavisa.no generate news about research
for the outside world.
The web page forskning.no, where NTNU contributes,
has some 400,000 individual visits every month.
NTNU arranges discussions, exhibitions, and public
lectures for the local residents.
Key figures from 2005
✔ 6200 mentions of NTNU in Norwegian web-based media
✔ 1000 media contributions directly from NTNU researchers
✔ 400 mentions in national media
✔ 280 popular science and feature articles
✔ 775 popular science lectures
✔ 15 000 visitors to the Research Square in two days
✔ 570 college students at Researchers’ Night
✔ 31 000 visitors to the exhibitions at the Museum of Natural History and Archaeology
Photos (from the top):
– NTNU Info/Rune Petter Ness
– Frontpage of the research journal Gemini
– NTNU Info/Magnus Knutsen Bjørke
22Dissemination NTNU 2006
Photo: NTNU Info/Gorm Kallestad/Scanpix
John Pål Inderberg (left) and Bjørn
Alterhaug have arranged countless
courses in improvation for different
occupational groups.
Improvization for everybody
The sound moves between the seats occu-
pied by medical students, doctors and
health personnel. Some have a glow in
their eyes, others close them while the
tones play ball with each other. Bjørn
Alterhaug’s experienced fingers run
across the strings on the contrabass while
John Pål Inderberg finds deep saxophone
tones from deep inside.
«Behind improvization there is listening
and practice, practice, practice. When the
music is fixed properly in our bodies and
ears, when we have listened to the many
parameters of the music, then can we
begin to have fun. Then it is time to let go
of the artificial structure and begin to
improvize, perhaps get close to some sort
of trance,» explains Associate Professor
John Pål Inderberg at NTNU.
In 1999, Bjørn Alterhaug, professor at
the Department of Music at NTNU, initia-
ted the research project ‘Improvization in
an interdisciplinary light’ supported by
NTNU’s interdisciplinary initiatives. The
research project resulted in a doctoral
thesis, a book and a number of articles.
Through cooperation with his colleagues
at the Jazz Academy at the Music Conser-
vatory John Pål Inderberg has developed a
musical ear method that has attracted
international attention.
Today, the research duo is very popular
as course arrangers for a number of occu-
pational groups. They have arranged cour-
ses for workers in most fields at NTNU,
The Norwegian National Authority for Inve-
stigation and Prosecution of Economic and
Environmental Crime (Økokrim), SAS and
the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation
(NRK). The competence in improvization is
relevant for creative research as well as
cooperation between experts in general.
In the lecture room at the Medical Centre
they are discussing communication, intense
listening and about tuning their instru-
ments to make them sound good together.
«In order to find harmony in an
orchestra, they musicians need to tune
their instruments. I think that is a good
advice in other connections as well,» says
Bjørn Alterhaug. «Improvization means
facilitating good communication. This is
evident when musicians play, but other
groups can also learn from the fundamen-
tal attitude in jazz: be creative and willing
to take risks without being terrified of
making mistakes.»
Jazz musicians are experts at this, but the skills are useful for anyone
involved with creative activities. Improvization makes you more aware.
The exhibition at the Museum of Natural
History and Archaeology was open at
Kalvskinnet in Trondheim from 27 May
to 31 August, 2005. Now it is available on
the web, but it also travels on to several
museums and events. The exhibition
provides an overview of the enormous
technological development which has
characterized the past century.
Norwegian cattle are developed to
produce more meat and milk. The TV has
become the rallying point in Norwegians'
family life. Vaccines and surgery save
human lives every day. Means of transport
have made the world available to us. Tech-
nology pervades our everyday lives, but do
we notice it?
«We want to show how the interplay
between people and technology has influ-
enced the development of modern Norway.
We often think of technology as a thing in
itself, and culture and people as some-
thing else. One of the aims of the exhibition
Techne is to show that there does not
necessarily have to be a line between
technology and culture,» says Roy Åge
Håpnes from the knowledge park Faros.
During the exhibition, which covered
several floors of the Museum, the public
could enter for free and had access to
450 square metres of multimedia boxes,
animation films, pictures, objects, light
and sound. One hundred years of
technology history presented in topics:
Industrial Environment, the Family, Fear
and Control, One Cure for All, the
Journey, and the Factory. Each topic
had an artistic comment, performed by
Professor Bruno Lundstrøm.
The Techne exhibition is the first step
in the establishment of the project Faros
Knowledge Park at NTNU. It was also
one of four national exhibitions celebra-
ting the 100 year anniversary for the
dissolving of the union between Norway
and Sweden. The exhibition is also avail-
able on the Internet.
Dissemination23
NTNU 2006
Photo: NTNU Info/Øystein Thorvaldsen
Photo: NTNU Info/Nina Tveter
Techne to the peopleOver 9,000 visited TECHNE – Technology and Modern Norway 1905—2005.
The topic ‘Fear and Control’, seen through the eyes of Professor Bruno Lundstrøm at the Department of Urban Design and Planning.
Art at the Nathionaltheateret stasjonTravellers passing through the Nathional-
theateret stasjon in Oslo can enjoy a
different type of art: On both sides of
the platform, decor by Professor Anne
Karin Furunes is displayed. It consists of
plates in industrial finished and perforated
aluminium and covers a total of 500
metres. Instead of painting on the plate,
the motif is made by ‘dots’ (raster pattern)
which are punched into the plates. So
the holes in the plates make the motif
of the picture.
Furunes is a professor at NTNU’s
Academy of Fine Art, and Vegar Moen
has taken the pictures which the artist
has used for her work.
Waiting for the airport express train...
24Dissemination NTNU 2006
From movie to fileDigital cinema is about to revolutionize
the technique in movie theatres, and
will change picture quality, the cinema
system and the distribution of films.
Sony launched their brand new super
projector in Trondheim, and according
to Professor Andrew Perkis at the
Department of Electronics and Tele-
communications at NTNU, the choice
of Trondheim is largely due to the coop-
eration with the local technological
environment: Midgard Medialab conduct
research on digital image compression
and combine a long line of disciplines
to test this technology.
In March, 30 British surgeons gathe-
red in Trondheim to test the projector
from Sony in connection with camera-
transferred endoscopic surgery. The
range of colours is extensive, and the
potential for a resolution of 8.4 million
pixels makes it possible to enlarge the
detailed images to Cinemascope format
on a cinema screen. The precision of the
image quality and the future prospects
for hospital surgery technology impres-
sed the medical experts.
During four totally techno-fixated days in
2005, the very first Technoport festival
made its mark on the city. The general
public poured in and over 14,000 people
visited the exhibition in Trondheim
Spektrum to experience technology in
all kinds of shapes and colours.
A large number of national and interna-
tional exhibitors presented the four main
topics: Innovation; ICT; Health and IT; and
Energy, Oil and Gas. People could experi-
ence demonstrations and examples of the
most recent developments within techno-
logy. In addition, the days were filled by
debates, conferences, cultural activities
and prize awards.
At Technoport, the public discovered
that technology really embraces everything
we do. Professionals, students, investors,
business people and the general public all
met to experience and understand the
technology of the future. One important aim
for the festival is to present technology in
an applicable and understandable manner.
During the festival, the Technology
Awards was arranged with prizes for out-
standing Norwegian and international
innovators, researchers, technologists and
exporters. In 2006, the Technology Awards
will be arranged as a separate event.
Apart from NTNU, the organizers in-
clude SINTEF, Statoil, Innovation Norway,
Kreative Trøndelag, Sparebank 1 Midt-
Norge, Sør-Trøndelag County Council and
Nord-Trøndelag County Council. The next
Technoport will be arranged in 2007.
Technoport – hi-tech festival
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Being a nation of hydropower, Norway hasdeveloped a unique competence that todaywill benefit the rest of the world. In bothAsia and Africa, Norwegian experts andpower developers are involved with largeprojects. Now, engineers from NTNU,Statkraft, Statnett and entrepreneur andconsultancy firms have gathered andwritten a large part of their knowledge inthe large work of 17 volumes, titled Hydro-power Development.
«Around 1990, we sensed that we werefacing a generational change within our
industry, and we decided to gather anddocument the knowledge acquired byhydropower experts, not least to ensurethe training of new engineers,» says thecurrent editor Ånund Killingtveit, professorat NTNU’s Department of Hydraulic andEnvironmental Engineering.
Even though the major developmentperiod in Norway is over, hydropower will still constitute the backbone of theNorwegian electricity production in thefuture. Development of smaller plants isprioritized. Strategies for upgrading and
improving the entire hydropower systemwill be important.
The work is published in English with a view to the world-market dissemi-nation. The Norwegian Water Resourcesand Energy Directorate, the NorwegianTrade Council, and several companieswithin the hydropower business havesupported the comprehensive source ofknowledge. NORAD also contributes, sincehydropower is the girder of electricitysupply in many of the developing countriescooperating with Norway.
Hydropower in 17 volumesAn important source of knowledge has been secured for the future. A major work
on hydropower development may sell the Norwegian expertise on the world market.
Researchers'Night inTrondheim During the Research Days, Researchers’
Night is arranged – an event designed for
curious people of all ages.
The first Researchers’ Night in history
was arranged at NTNU on 23 September
2005. Teachers and college students
interested in scientific subjects, natural
science and technology were welcomed in
the Natural Science Building. Here they
got a taste of research within biology, bio-
technology, physics, chemistry, materials
technology, and process technology.
The menu featured 'Searching for DNA
in criminal investigations, paternity cases
and accidents’, ‘Explosive lectures’, ‘Fuel
cells – the energy system of the future?’,
and some mysterious ‘Slippery friends’
from the sea.
The Faculty of Medicine has introduced
compulsory teaching in research dissemi-
nation for future researchers. Research
fellows in all doctoral programmes will
have tailored crash courses in how to
reach the general public.
«We wish to strengthen public dissemi-
nation as a discipline and provide resear-
chers with the necessary skills,» says
Morten Thoresen, communication adviser
at the Faculty. So far, the teaching has
primarily aimed at scientific dissemination
in academic environments and journals.
Now, the offer is extended. The research
fellows will produce their own material
– write press releases or popular scientific
articles. They will meet editors and com-
munication advisers. In fact, the channels
are right on their doorstep: The university’s
own information division includes commu-
nication advisers, journalists and editors
ready to contribute to the teaching, and
NRK’s scientific editorial staff is only a
stone’s throw away. Last year's course
included a visit from the web editor of
forskning.no, who talked about publishing
on the Internet. Now, the Faculty of
Medicine is also considering introducing
research dissemination as a subject
earlier in the programme.
Competence in disseminationSuddenly, everyone is talking about it. Over lunch in downtown coffee bars, a special medical field has become the subject of
discussion. How did that happen? Perhaps it had something to do with professionals getting better at telling about their work.
26Dissemination NTNU 2006
Like a sword blow through the memory ofthe world, an exhibition can cause a sigh ofa distant past. For a few dark autumnmonths, the mighty Chinese Han Dynastyvisited Trondheim. At the exhibition ‘In amirror – China under the Emperor Jin Di’ inautumn 2005, hundreds of objects from the2,200 year old tomb was displayed at theMuseum of Natural History and Archaeology.Lifelike terracotta models of women, ser-vants, soldiers, farm animals, and weaponswere lined up – a hand-picked selection.
Several interactive tools are employedin knowledge dissemination at the
Museum of Natural History and Archaeo-logy. Every Sunday, the public could expe-rience Chinese culture through concerts,food, acrobatics, paper cutting, ping-ponggames, kung fu, and lectures on philosop-hy, medicine and nature preservation workconnected to the Panda bear. Visitingpupils wore imperial and royal clothes inorder to feel history directly on their bodies.
When Chinese archaeologists openedthe 2,200 year old mausoleum 15 yearsago, the sensational find very soon endedup on the UN’s World Heritage List. So far,50,000 objects have been excavated.
The Chinese themselves often use the Han period as a mirror or example ofmodern China. The Han Dynasty constitu-tes the spinal cord of China's 2,000 yearlong history of dynasties. Under thisdynasty, the country was a superpowerwith flourishing trade and explorativecontact with the surrounding world.
The exhibition marked the 50th anni-versary of the establishment of thediplomatic connections between China and Norway, and is an important coopera-tion between the scientific museums inStavanger, Oslo and Trondheim.
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«Gemini is awarded the prize because the journal does not fail on any of thejury's 18 criteria. Gemini sets the agendaand is sectioned, planned, edited andcarried out at the highest level» the jury
wrote in its citation. At the same time, NTNU’s Gemini
editor, Nina Tveter, was awarded silver in the class for ‘best journalism’ for herarticle ‘Tree of Knowledge’.
Gemini wins againFor the second year in a row NTNU and SINTEF’s research journal
Gemini was elected Norway’s best external company magazine by
the Norwegian Communication Association.
Dissemination27
NTNU 2006
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Finally, NTNU gets a new area of dissemi-
nation in the heart of Nedre Elvehavn
– a pulsating part of Trondheim. The old
Dokkhuset between the shopping centre
Solsiden and the blocks of flats have long
been lying there unused in the attractive
area. Now, the old pump house will be
transformed into an intimate concert and
cultural house and a cultural arena where
the chamber music environment as well
as TrondheimSolistene and Trondheim
Jazzforum will have a regular haunt. In
addition, NTNU’s Faculty of Architecture
and Fine Art will use the Dokkhuset for
their exhibitions.
«Dokkhuset will be a dissemination
arena for everyone who wishes to experi-
ence NTNU’s cultural life,» says University
Director Per Ivar Maudal. The ground floor
of the house will provide a flexible concert
hall. Full capacity equals 220 seats, but
the number of standing places amounts to
450. The second floor will be occupied by
offices, practice rooms and a control room
for multimedia productions. In addition,
the house will have restaurants both
inside and on the waterfront. The house
will also include a bar and a restaurant
on two floors with access to a large roof
terrace.
Some sections of the floor will be made
of glass so that visitors can look down on
illuminated remains of the old pump house.
The Cultural House will be ready
for the Chamber Music Festival in Sep-
tember 2006. By then, Dokkhuset will
be restored and expanded and ready
to receive a large influx of NTNU’s nume-
rous cultural groups.
NTNU’s own cultural houseIn 2005, a decision was made to provide NTNU with its own cultural house at Nedre Elvehavn
in Trondheim. The cultural house will be used for concerts, exhibitions and as practice rooms.
Ready for Poland 2006
The event is a broad cooperation on cul-
ture, research and industry. Poland 2006
gathers cultural institutions, research envi-
ronments and industry in the Trondheim
region under one topic and one umbrella.
For a whole week in October 2006, people
will experience a wide mustering of Polish
art and culture, exhibitions, concerts
and films. There will also be academic
seminars, business seminars and popular
scientific and specialist lectures by resear-
chers from Poland and NTNU.
In October, NTNU arranges a week-long event with Poland as the topic.
The festival poster for
«Poland 2006» is
designed by Sebastian
Kubica, one of the
great names within
modern Polish poster art.
28NTNU Alumni NTNU 2006
Foreign universities have long traditions
of alumni activities. These networks are
of great value to their members, both
professionally and socially. The connection
with their old alma mater ties thousands
of people together in professional and
social networks, despite geographical
distances. Often the ties between alumni
grow stronger over the years. NTNU
– through its precursor NTH – has proud
traditions and a strong identity that we
would like all former students to cherish
for the rest of their lives.
By registering at www.ntnu.no/alumni/
you can re-establish contact with former
fellow students and your old department.
Your alumni network will initiate events
for its members.
Alumni are often organized according to
departments. NTNU Alumni, however,
would like to offer you the opportunity to
establish your own personal network.
We listen to our alumni. The experience of
former students is useful when improving
the education of students who will work in
industry or public administration.
Through this network we gain a closer
contact with society outside the university.
We would like to help you continue to reap
the benefits of your time as a student in
Trondheim, even long after leaving town!
As an alumnus you will receive:
• Nostalgic cultural offers
• A network
• Contact with fellow students
• Permanent e-mail address
• Favourable offers for continuing education,courses and conferences at NTNU
• Recent news from NTNU by e-mail and
in your mailbox, including the research
journal Gemini
• Access to separate web pages for alumni
Being a student in Trondheim is an
experience that will follow you for the
rest of your life.
There are numerous examples of male
students finding a local girl and never
leaving town.
But most students leave NTNU after
completing their studies and set out for
other hunting grounds. Nevertheless, they
never forget the town, the student life, and
the university. The years as a student, which
coincide with one’s youth, will always give
rise to good memories. We look for good
ambassadors for NTNU, both in industry,
public administration, and in society in
general. A personal contact net is important,
and the web pages of NTNU Alumni offer
many opportunities to maintain a living
network with old and new friends.
So I urge you to visit www.ntnu.no/alumni
and register now.
Torbjørn Digernes
Rector, NTNU
You never leave Trondheim
– if you become an alumnus
From the opening of NTNU Alumni, Studentersamfundet 18 October, 2003.
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What is NTNU Alumni?
NTNU alumni (lat. «students»)
is an association for former
students with a degree from
NTNU (or one of its precursors:
NTH, AVH, University of Trond-
heim, DMF, the Academy of
Fine Art and the Music Conserva-
tory). The purpose of NTNU
Alumni is to maintain the contact
between the university and
former students, and between
old students. Therefore, we
welcome anyone holding an
academic degree from NTNU.
Organization29
NTNU 2006
Faculty of Architecture
and Fine Art, AB
Faculty Dean Tore I. [email protected]
Faculty of Arts, HF
Faculty Dean Kathrine [email protected]
Faculty of Engineering
Science and Technology, IVT
Faculty Dean Ingvald Strø[email protected]
Faculty of Information
Technology, Mathematics and
Electrical Engineering, IME
Faculty Dean Arne Sø[email protected]
Faculty of Medicine, DMF
Faculty Dean Stig Slø[email protected]
Faculty of Natural Sciencesand Technology, NT
Faculty Dean Bjørn [email protected]
Faculty of Social
Sciences and Technology
Management, SVT
Faculty Dean Jan Morten Dyrstad
Rector
Torbjørn [email protected]
OrganizationPro-Rector Research and Innovation
Astrid Læ[email protected]
Pro-Rector Education and Quality Learning
Julie [email protected]
University Director
Per Ivar [email protected]
Assist. University Director
Peter Lykke
Organization Director
Trond Singsaas
Director of Studies
Hilde Skeie
Information Director
Anne Katharine Dahl
Technical Director
Kjell Næsje
Financial Director
Frank Arntsen
Museum Director
Axel Christophersen
Library Director
Ingar Lomheim
Funding from UFD and other ministries 2 614.414 Total assets 1 444.363
Funding from the Research Council of Norway 446.609 Total equity 311
Income from externally financed activities 418.229 Retained earnings 138.224
Sales of property, equipment, etc 19.602 Provisions for liabilities and charges 412.139
Other income 114.251 Total liabilities 893.689
Total revenue 3 613.105 Total equity and liabilities 1 444.363
Wage costs -2 176.937
Investments and maintenance -370.676
Other operating expenses -1 199.232
Total operating expenses -3 746.845
Income statement: Balance sheet:
Key financial data 2005 (in NOK million)
Photo of Rector: NTNU Info/Synnøve Ressem
Photo of Lægreid: NTNU Info/Mentz Indergaard
Photos of Feilberg and Maudal: NTNU Info/Rune Petter Ness
Organization31
NTNU 2006
The Faculty of Architectureand Fine art
is responsible for education, disseminationand research as well as architectural andartistic activities in the various creativedesign disciplines.
We focus on individual engagement,creativity and ethical attitudes. Further-more, an interdisciplinary approach to academic development and problem solving is important. For this reason,project work and problem-based learninghave always been at the heart of oureducational approach. Both artistic andscientific reflection are important in moving beyond traditional working methods and established solutions.
This work and cooperation with otherfaculties have enabled the Faculty of Archi-tecture and Fine Art to make substantialcontributions to a number of study pro-grammes, dissemination activities andresearch work. The main priorities of thefaculty are: The use of Wood as a material;Resources and the Environment; Architec-ture; Management and Financial Matters;Settlement and Cultural Understanding;Protection; Refurbishment and Renewal;Architectural Theory and AestheticCommunication; Tools, the Medium and the Study of Form.
The Faculty of EngineeringScience and Technology
provides education within 30 areas, mainlyMSc degrees, in the following programmes:Civil Engineering and EnvironmentalTechnology; Energy and EnvironmentalTechnology; Geosciences and PetroleumTechnology; Marine Technology; IndustrialDesign; Product Development and Produc-tion, and Engineering Science and ICT. The faculty also offers seven internationalMaster’s programmes.
In 2004, an international evaluationunder the direction of the Research Councilof Norway ranked 14 out of 26 researchgroups at the faculty as Excellent or VeryGood in scientific quality and productivity.The faculty hosts a Centre of Excellencecalled the Centre for Ships and OceanStructures and participates in the Inter-national Centres for Geohazards. Researchinitiatives on Profitable Production inNorway and Sustainable Infrastructures are under development.
The Faculty of InformationTechnology, Mathematics andElectrical Engineering
is responsible for research, education and dissemination in the academic fields of Computer and Information Science, Elec-tronics, Electric Power Engineering, Energyand the Environment, Mathematics andStatistics, Telecommunications, Telematics,Engineering Cybernetics, as well as the
industrial mathematics programme.The faculty offers 5-year integrated
programmes of study at the Master’s levelin technology (advanced engineering):Computer Science; Electronics; Energy andthe Environment; Communications Techno-logy, and Engineering Cybernetics. Thefaculty also offers a 5-year Master’s degreein teaching in the natural sciences as wellas programmes of study at Bachelor’s andMaster’s levels in biomathematics, infor-matics, mathematics, and statistics. Morethan 60 per cent of Norway’s Master’sstudents in ICT study at the faculty.
There are currently more than 300 PhDstudents at the faculty. Great emphasis isplaced on developing interdisciplinaryefforts which involve different academicfields. The faculty collaborates closely with numerous universities and researchinstitutions, as well as national andinternational business.
The Faculty of Arts
provides education, research and dissemi-nation of knowledge in the humanities:history and subjects related to art, culture,literature and languages. The faculty worksto preserve the traditions within the huma-nities at the same time as emphasizinginnovation, and offering a wide range ofsubjects where the emphasis is both on the specific discipline and interdisciplinaryresearch and education.
The more traditional university subjectsare carried forward through the thematicprogrammes of study: Language and Lite-rature; Art; Media and Communication, as well as history and subjects related toculture and ideas. The faculty also offersinterdisciplinary studies within EuropeanStudies with Foreign Languages; Manage-ment of Cultural Heritage; MedievalStudies; Music Technology and Informatics,Languages and Culture. The facultyparticipates in several national and inter-national research projects.
The faculty hosts NTNU’s strategic areaGlobalization with interdisciplinary projectsbased in philosophy, languages, literature,religion, history, art, geography, politicalscience, and sociology in cooperation withthe technology environments.
The Faculty of NaturalSciences and Technology
is responsible for research, education,dissemination and innovation withinbiology, biotechnology, physics, chemistry,chemical process engineering, nano-technology, and materials technology. Thefaculty’s vision is to be a national centre for research in the natural sciences, theenvironment, processing and materialssciences as well as the interplay betweenthese areas. The faculty offers programmesof study in the natural sciences such aschemistry, physics, biology and biotechno-logy at both Bachelor’s and Master’s levels,
and has Master’s and PhD degrees in phy-sics and mathematics, chemistry and bio-technology, materials technology, andnanotechnology. In addition, the facultyoffers international Master’s programmesin Light Metals Production, Medical Tech-nology, Condensed Matter Physics andBiophysics. New fields of research corres-pond to the national efforts within functio-nal genome research, new materials, andsystems biology.
The Faculty of Medicine
conducts research, education and dissemi-nation in medicine and the health sciences.The faculty's activities will contribute to therenewal and development of knowledge,skills and attitudes for the benefit ofpatients and society.
The medical studies place particularemphasis on pedagogical methods such asproblem-based learning (PBL), communi-cation training, and scientific reflection. Thefaculty offers several Master’s programmesand individual courses.
The research priorities are MedicalTechnology where the faculty is responsiblefor coordination within NTNU, the HealthStudy in Nord-Trøndelag (HUNT), andtranslation research. The translationresearch combines clinical researchinvolving patients and basal research within basic medicine.
In many aspects of research and educa-tion, the faculty enjoys close cooperationwith St. Olav’s University Hospital – which is an important meeting place for resear-chers, students and patients – as well asother NTNU faculties, Helse Midt-Norgeand SINTEF Health Research.
The Faculty of Social Sciencesand Technology Management
organizes its education and researchthrough the departments of Geography,Industrial Economics and TechnologyManagement, Economics, Social Work andHealth Science, Sociology and PoliticalScience, Education, Psychology, and SocialAnthropology. In addition, the facultyincludes the Human movement ScienceProgramme, the Programme for TeacherEducation, the Norwegian Centre for Child Research, and the Lifelong LearningResearch Centre (NTNU ViLL).
The faculty offers programmes ofprofessional studies within advancedengineering, teaching, and psychology aswell as discipline-based Bachelor's andMaster's degrees. Courses are offered ininterdisciplinary studies such as IT andFinance, Organization and Management,African Studies, and Media Science. Thefaculty has been awarded one of NTNU'sCentres of Excellence, the Centre for theBiology of Memory, and participates inanother such centre with the InternationalPeace Research Institute, Oslo - the Centrefor the Study of Civil War.