Innovation

A roadmap for academic research-intensive innovation

The ambitious goal of the Centre for Digital Life Norway (DLN) is to transform Norwegian biotechnology research to become more transdisciplinary and to stimulate value creation and innovation.

In 2019 the centre was granted NOK 30 million from the Research Council of Norway to run the 5-year innovation project “A roadmap for academic research-intensive innovation”. The objective of the project is to design and initiate a change process in the Norwegian innovation system with the aim of increasing innovation from academic research within transdisciplinary digital biotechnology.

The "AS IS" report

In 2020, the project delivered its first report (“AS IS”) that discusses DLN and its context in the Norwegian research and innovation system and pinpoints issues and weaknesses in the system that could be improved to increase the innovation rate from academic research.

It is partly descriptive (to give a basis for comparison with other examples of research-intensive innovation) and partly diagnostic in order to understand strengths and weaknesses of the project.

The "TO BE" Report

In 2021, the project delivered its second report, Moving the Digital Life Sciences in Norway towards increased innovation - Lessons from international innovation practices (“TO BE”). The main goal of the report was to inform DLN’s work in devising its own roadmap which should forms the basis of a 4-year 25 MNOK action plan (2022-2025) with pilot activities, which will be tested together with the research projects that are part of the centre.

The report concludes the first phase of the strategic project “A roadmap for academic research-intensive innovation”, funded by the Research Council of Norway and Digital Life Norway.

Professor Arnoldo Frigessi at University of Oslo (UiO), who is the project manager and former member of DLN's Expert Task Force, emphasizes that this TO BE report is unique because of the methods used to assemble the learning, the depth and breadth of the study and the connection to the strong portfolio of scientific projects in digital life in Norway.

“In the next phase, we will experiment with 30-40 different ideas, inspired and tested internationally and adapted to our situations, each with the aim to help the transition of academic ideas into products, ideas, services, solutions, which make an impact in society, "says Frigessi, and points out that "Many of these pilots have not been tested before in Norway. We will work closely together with other relevant actors, in all of Norway. This will also help to build new enthusiasm for innovation in academia."

- Professor Arnoldo Frigessi

Action Plan

The Action plan is not a funding instrument, but a systematic research project. All pilots are documented and will be continuously evaluated along the way and when completed. The action plan was approved by the Steering Committee in February 2022 and the project were, by the Research Council, formally moved from Phase 1 to Phase 2 in August 2022. In Phase 2 the project is integrated more directly into DLN and reports to the RCN and the DLN Board on the same terms as the Research School in DLN.

How should Norway stimulate to more innovation from biotechnology research?

In August 2022 Phase 2 of the project was presented at Arendalsuka. Arendalsuka is the largest political gathering in Norway where various organisations can talk directly with leading decision makers from academia, business, civil society and politics.

The event asked the following question: "How should Norway stimulate to more innovation from biotechnology research?"

As an introduction to this question, project leader for Innovation Roadmap, professor Arnoldo Frigessi at UiO, together with Senior advisor for Innovation at DLN, Alexandra Patriksson, presented the Innovation Roadmap project. The event had an open discussion with invited panelists. Read more about the event and see video recordings here (In Norwegian):

Presentation of Innovation Roadmap: