Overall objective

The Centre will develop validated computational tools for innovation together with and for partners in the oil and gas industry, the transportation industry (automotive and infrastructure along Norwegian roads) and in industry and public enterprises working with physical security (protection of critical infrastructure that could be subjected to terrorist acts and sabotage). Even though these partners represent different business sectors, they have similar needs in advanced structural analysis because the underlying theories and formulations behind the different computer tools are the same. Accordingly, the basic research in the Centre has to be pre-competitive and generic in nature to facilitate cooperation between the user partners and hence transfer of knowledge across business sectors.

In order to facilitate the use of validated numerical simulations by the user partners and to meet their technology roadmaps and business plans for process and product development, a multi- and interdisciplinary research approach based on multi-scale testing, modelling and analysis in an industrial context is required. This represents a major research initiative that is only achievable for a centre with long-term objectives and funding.

CASA has defined the following overall objective:

To provide a research and technology platform for the creation and development of smart, cost effective, safe and environmentally friendly structures and products through multi-scale testing, modelling and simulation.

Goals

The main goals of CASA are as follows:

• Industrial: 1) To develop methods and tools for credible advanced structural analysis at the user partners. 2) To ensure transfer of technology across business sectors. 3) To arrange courses and case study seminars at the user partners. 4) To facilitate concurrent research projects with the user partners. 5) To facilitate employment of post docs, MSc and PhD candidates at the user partners to strengthen the industrial implementation.
• Academic: 1) To graduate 20 PhD candidates and employ 5 post docs. 2) To graduate 100-150 MSc students. 3) To attract 10 foreign professors/scientists to the Centre. 4) To publish 100-150 papers in international journals with peer review in addition to conference papers. 5) To arrange two international conferences.
• Media: 1) To implement a strategy for popular science presentations of the research activities in magazines, newspapers, on television and radio. 2) To establish a media strategy where the female researchers are made particularly visible in order to recruit female fellowship holders and contribute to a more even gender balance in this research field.