"The bank's aim in allocating this funding is to support and promote sustainable growth and development in the region," says Eva Kvelland.
She is Group Director for People and Communication at Sparebanken Sør and serves as chair of the bank's Sør Fund gift foundation. Earlier this month, Sør Fund reviewed proposals from three institutions collaborating on marine knowledge development in Agder and decided to allocate funds to all three:
- The Centre for Coastal Research (CCR) at UiA will receive NOK 10 million for research collaboration, infrastructure, a recruitment position for a young researcher, as well as funding for pilot projects that focus on species relevant to regional businesses and coastal restoration.
- Innakva CLUSTER, based in Lister, will receive NOK 15 million to establish coastal observatories along the Agder coast in collaboration with UiA, develop other infrastructure, conduct research on the coastal region's business potential, and disseminate knowledge.
- The Institute of Marine Research (IMR) will receive NOK 15 million to upgrade Flødevigen Research Station. This support provides an excellent opportunity for IMR to enhance collaboration between research communities in the region, foster interdisciplinary work, and leverage the existing and new infrastructure at Flødevigen to create added value.
"What is crucial is that these three communities will work together to develop knowledge about the coast and the sea. The allocation is part of our celebration of the bank’s 200th anniversary, and we hope they will benefit the entire coast," says Kvelland.
"Absolutely crucial"
The three institutions say the gift from Sør Fund is a support for them collectively as well as individually.
"The gift from Sør Fund is absolutely crucial to our efforts to establish a knowledge base that demonstrates the potential for sustainable blue economic development in the region," says CEO Jon Løvland in Innakva CLUSTER.
"The gift gives us the opportunity to strengthen the broad and forward-looking collaboration between the marine communities in Southern Norway," says Head of Research, Jan Atle Knutsen, at the Institute of Marine Research.
As one of UiA's priority research centres, the Centre for Coastal Research (CCR) has focused on developing academic environments at UiA to attract external funding.
"When the other stakeholders around CCR receive support simultaneously, it further strengthens the essential marine research and development in our region going forward," says Pro-Rector Hans Kjetil Lysgård at UiA.
"In our centre, we have shown that collaboration between institutions creates synergy and significantly improves the quality of teaching and research. These funds enable us to continue and develop this collaboration," says Leader of CCR, Professor Halvor Knutsen.
- halvor.knutsen@uia.no
- Phone
- +47 38 14 26 47
- hans.k.lysgard@uia.no
- Phone
- +47 38 14 14 96