"I don’t think it’s possible to compete with Trondheim with regard to volume, but we can achieve a quality upgrade.  It‘s possible to become an important player within five years and establish an exciting technological milieu. A new technology building on Nygårdshøyden is long overdue," says Arvid Nøttvedt, managing director at CMI.

The vision behind the idea is an ambitious one: Bergen and Hordaland is to become the most technologically important and innovative region in Norway within five years.  The new laboratory building will be a step towards achieving this goal.

Planning during autumn
Planning will start during the autumn. The technology lab will contain 1500 square metres of floor space for experiments, and 2500 square metres for laboratory use.  The financing, project blueprints and distribution of floor space have not yet been decided upon.

"The regulatory work has been done and the site is ready, but the overall details are not yet clear.  This is a building that is meant to last for 30 years. At such an important phase, we should be careful not to rule out anything," says Vice-dean Geir Anton Johansen of The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.

"A lot to offer"
When one of the most important technological milieus in the city, CMR, moves to Nygårdshøyden, the area from Realfagbygget to Marineholmen will become the natural centre of the technological city according to Johansen and Nøttvedt.  The same geographical localization will however not be enough – and both these two and several of the other speakers, agreed that the technological milieu in Bergen could appear to be fragmented when seen from the outside.

"We have a number of strong milieus, some of which are classed as outstanding.  UiB and HiB both have profiles that fit in well with local trade and industry.  HiB has a strong local network, while we at UiB have a strong international network. If one includes the affiliated organizations, especially CMR and Unifob, then the technological milieu has on the whole a lot to offer," says Johansen.