NTNU and SINTEF: Better Together

The partner institutions have collaborated closely since SINTEF was established in 1950. Today, employees produce more than 450 scientific articles together. NTNU and SINTEF jointly operate several laboratories and participate in 27 national research centres. More than 20 Gemini Centres cooperate at a professional level. 50 employees at SINTEF have an additional position at NTNU and 460 NTNU employees are commissioned by SINTEF.

Better Together

The project «Better Together» was launched in the autumn of 2014, to investigate how the two organizations could achieve increased quality in research and better international competitiveness through collaboration.

Video Facebook (in Norwegian):
CEO SINTEF Alexandra Bech Gjørv and Rector NTNU at the time Gunnar Bovim.

Objective of the cooperation

• NTNU and SINTEF collaborate strategically on the development of businesses at all relevant levels and disciplines. 
• The cooperation should be characterized by a fundamental mutual respect for each other's tasks and individualities, combined with an understanding of each other's roles and framework conditions. 
• The collaboration between the research groups in NTNU and SINTEF is the foundation of the relationship and is to be optimized as part of the Better Together process. 
• When relevant, NTNU and SINTEF will cooperate on centres of excellence such as SFIs (Centres for Research-Based Innovation) and FMEs (Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research) as well as SFF (Norwegian Centres of Excellence). Cooperation should be based on complementarity, practical benefits and predictability.
• NTNU and SINTEF will collaborate on long-term positioning in relation to EU instruments and to win in the competition for EU funds. 
• NTNU and SINTEF will strengthen cooperation to supervise doctoral candidates that society needs. 
• The parties will collaborate strategically on research infrastructures as a basis for outstanding research. Cooperation on first-class laboratories will help solve major societal challenges and develop Norwegian business. Cooperation should be based on certainty and predictability. 
• NTNU and SINTEF will collaborate on providing clear and unambiguous research and innovation policy advice. 

Advice to politicians

Prior to the 2017 parliamentary elections, NTNU and SINTEF's expert communities in energy, health and digitalization prepared some joint recommendations to politicians.

Advisory documents

– pdf, in Norwegian:

• Energi og klima: Globale utfordringer – norske muligheter
  (Energy and climate: Global challenges – Norwegian opportunities)
• Globale helseutfordringer – norske løsninger
  (Global health challenges – Norwegian solutions)
• I forkant av digitaliseringen
  (Before digitalization)

Project reports

– pdf, in Norwegian:

• Statusrapport for implementering av Bedre sammen, august 2017
  (Status report for implementation of Bedre sammen (Better Together), August 2017)
• Statusrapport juni 2017
  (Status report June 2017)
• Hovedrapporten, mai 2016
  (Main Report, May 2016)
  • Delrapport 1: Kvantitative analyser 
    (Sub-report 1: Quantitative analyses)
  • Delrapport 2: Ekstern evaluering av samarbeidet utført av NIFU
    (Sub-report 2: External evaluation of the collaboration conducted by NIFU, The Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education)
  • Delrapport 3: Kvalitative vurderinger 
    (Sub-report 3: Qualitative considerations)