simula strategy 2018 - 2028 1 2 Table of Contents Preface 4 Leading Simula 17 This is Simula 5 Gender equality and diversity 18 Summary 6 Location 19 Independence Open science 20 and collaboration 9 Applied research 21 Research 10 Portfolio management 22 Communication systems 11 Innovation at Simula Scientific computing 12 and the Simula Garage 23 Software engineering 13 Articles of association 24 Machine learning 14 Definition of ”excellent” 25 Cyber security 15 Abbreviations 26 Education 16 3 Preface How can we improve? That is what this document So, we have to improve every aspect of what we is about. Simula Research Laboratory was estab - do. But how? That was the question we asked all lished in 2001 and has since been through a series our employees when we spent one full day of of evaluations. The results have steadily improved walking and talking in the woods around Øst - and in the 2017 evaluation, the committee found marksetra in September 2017. In groups of about that all three research areas at Simula were excel - ten employees, lead by a PhD student or a post lent, according to a rigorous definition provided doc, our employees discussed the main questions by the Research Council of Norway. 1 It is tempt - concerning Simula. And they responded with a ing to think that all is well, and that we should whole catalogue of suggestions and views which simply continue on our path. in turn were presented, by the leaders of the ten- person groups, at a seminar for Simula’s board of But that is the sound of decline. An ambitious directors. Finally, a group of employees wrote research lab has to reach higher, dig deeper and condensed introductions to each strategy issue, never be content. So, what can we improve? Al - and also formulated our strategy for every topic most everything. We produce high quality papers in just one sentence. These sentences are our new at a good rate, but we can do much better; no one strategy. has yet been able to publish in Nature or Science or similar venues. We supervise master students, It remains to be seen if this is the best strategy we PhD students and post docs at a fine rate. But we have created at Simula, but I know for sure that it can provide much better supervision for students has been the most entertaining and enlightening and post docs; talk to anyone for more than five strategy process we have ever had. The strong minutes and you will learn that there is plenty of commitment to our mission and the intensity of room for improvements. Furthermore, we have the arguments bodes exceptionally well for our established 16 start-up companies and though future. most of them, if not all, are doing well, none are doing exceptionally well; and we have yet to sell a company to make a significant profit from our investment. Professor Aslak Tveito CEO, Simula Research Laboratory February 2018 1. The definition of ”excellent”, as used by the Research Council of Norway, is found on page 25. 4 This is Simula Simula’s vision is to be an excellent research lab, solving important and fundamental problems of science and engineering, training highly-qualified experts and leaders, and developing commercial enterprises. Mission Production ￭ Simula conducts research with long-term impact ￭ Simula’s scientific impact as measured through within the fields of communication systems, citations: the WoS-indexed publications obtain a scientific computing, software engineering, citation index of 139 2, which means that the articles machine learning and cyber security. have been cited 39 % more than the field normalised world average. ￭ A strong focus on basic research is combined with the teaching of postgraduate students and ￭ From 2001 through 2017, Simula’s researchers the development of commercial applications. have supervised 114 PhD and 387 MSc degrees to completion in collaboration with the University Organisation of Oslo and other academic partners. ￭ Established in 2001, Simula has been headed by Professor Aslak Tveito since 2002 and combines Financing academic traditions with recognised business ￭ Simula receives basic allowances from the management models. Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the ￭ Simula is organised as a limited company Ministry of Transport and Communications. owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Education These financial contributions are imperative and and Research. provide the degree of strategic freedom necessary ￭ Simula Research Laboratory holds ownership for Simula to perform its unique role in the in Simula Innovation (100%), the Simula School Norwegian research environment. of Research and Innovation (56%), Simula@UiB ￭ Simula’s income profile consists of three approxi - (51%) and Simula@OsloMet (51%), in addition to mately equal parts: 1. basic allowance and long ownership in 16 companies managed by Simula term funding, 2. grants awarded by the Research Innovation. Council of Norway, and 3. income from the EU, industry or other activities. 2. Source: Bibliometric analysis of Simula Research Laboratory by Research Professor Dag W. Aksnes at the Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education (NIFU), 2016. 5 Summary This document lays out Simula’s strategy for the ten-year period from 2018 to 2028, and reflects on the practical, structural and philosophical considerations that may impact Simula’s future. These considerations are listed below, each with a one-sentence summary of Simula’s strategy moving forward. Vision Machine learning Simula’s vision is to be an excellent research lab, Simula will expand and further develop machine solving important and fundamental problems of learning expertise by strengthening the link be - science and engineering, training highly-qualified tween theory and algorithms, and between algo - experts and leaders, and developing commercial rithms and high-impact applications that are of enterprises. particular relevance to society. Independence and collaboration Cyber security Simula will remain an independent research Simula@UiB aims to become an excellent research organization while strengthening its current group in the field of cyber security and crypto- collaborations and seeking new, mutually beneficial graphy, educating highly-qualified IT security partnerships that are in line with Simula’s vision. experts for the benefit of Norwegian society. Research Education Simula’s research groups will continue to perform Simula will strengthen its educational framework important and exciting research, maintain their by demanding excellent supervision of MSc and status as excellent 3 and secure long-term research PhD students, providing a portfolio of courses, funding. and collaborating with regional schools. Communication systems Leading Simula The communication systems research area will Simula will actively train new leaders at every combine long-term research on fundamental level, especially at the top of the organization to questions with present-day relevance. ensure that well-qualified candidates are avail - able at all times. Scientific computing The scientific computing research area will push Gender equality and diversity the forefront of its core expertise, and actively Simula will continue to fine-tune working condi - incorporate machine learning to expand the ca - tions to best support its diverse workforce, with pabilities of computational methods. the goal of increasing the proportion of female employees to 40% within the next 10 years. Software engineering The software engineering research area will con - Location tinue to conduct industry-relevant research, and Simula will find premises within a reasonable actively foster sound collaborations with industry price range that facilitate easy collaboration and other research organizations. within Simula and with national partners and, most importantly, provide optimal working con - ditions for the employees. 3. The definition of ”excellent”, as used by the Research Council of Norway, is found on page 25. 6 Open science Innovation at Simula and the Simula Simula will actively cultivate a mindset and pro - Garage vide training on tools for how to conduct repro - Simula will promote interactions between Simula ducible research and support the free researchers and external entrepreneurs, increase dissemination of research results to the extent technology commercialization efforts, and culti - that is legally and financially possible. vate the Simula Garage as an attractive incubator for early-stage technology startups. Applied research Simula will strengthen the applications of its Articles of association research and contract research will primarily be The articles of association of Simula Research organized through Kalkulo or new startups. Laboratory will be changed to include education activities, a broader definition of research, and a Portfolio management broader scope for Simula’s innovation activities. Simula will seek to gain profits from its research activities, with the profits to be reinvested in new commercial enterprises as well as new research and education projects. 7 8 Independence and collaboration Strategy: Simula will remain an independent research organization while strengthening its current collaborations and seeking new, mutually beneficial partnerships that are in line with Simula’s vision. Simula is a limited company owned by the Simula will pursue collaborations with a focus on Norwegian Ministry of Research and Education. mutually beneficial partnerships that provide the A recurring question in various