EVALMIT reports highlight Simula's world-class research

On April 7, the Research Council of Norway presented the results of the comprehensive Evaluation of Mathematics, ICT and Technology in Norway (EVALMIT). Mission-driven organisations like Simula were singled out as demonstrating superior performance in research quality and quantity. 

“Simula’s EVALMIT results are a testament to the incredible work of our talented and dedicated researchers here at Simula,” said Lillian Røstad, CEO of Simula. “This comes from consistently striving to solve important problems and make a real difference."

A thorough process conducted by international experts

EVALMIT is the most comprehensive evaluation conducted by the RCN, spanning  Mathematics, ICT and Technology (MIT) research across Norway. 248 research groups at 56 different administrative units were assessed by 15 international expert panels, in total 78 experts. 

“The EVALMIT national report highlights Norway's robust research environment in mathematics, ICT, and technology, showcasing strong research groups across the country. It also highlights suggested improvements," said Røstad.

“The recommendations provided to Simula, such as further strengthening our collaborations with other leading groups in Norway and abroad, align well with our ongoing strategy process.” 

Simula called out for its national and international impact

The national report singles out Simula for excelling in national engagement, with 75% of its articles published with Norwegian co-authors, while also surpassing the average publication rate with international collaborators. Simula's high citation rate was also highlighted as it underscores the substantial impact and recognition of its research.

“Simula was created with a clear expectation of delivering impactful research at top international level. The EVALMIT report, which summarises Norwegian MIT research performed by both universities and the institute sector over a full decade, states very clearly that this expectation is met", said Professor Are Magnus Bruaset, Director of Software Engineering and AI and responsible for coordinating the EVALMIT process at Simula.

Cultivating vision at the highest level

In the Simula-specific EVALMIT report, the evaluation committee describes Simula as very successful in achieving its goals in all their three key areas of activity (Research, Education, and Innovation), and that “Simula is cultivating their vision at the highest level.”

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.

- Simula's vision - 

Going beyond traditional academic impact

The committee recognised Simula's substantial societal impact, particularly in addressing governmental needs through research centers like EDOS and CRNA, and in fostering a supportive environment for tech start-ups and spin-offs. The development and hosting of eX3 as the national infrastructure for experimental research in high performance computing was also recognised as a key contribution exceeding traditional academic publishing.

“It is encouraging to see that eX3, which is very experimental by design, is one of the three most used national research infrastructures in Norway.  This bodes well for a soon-to-come proposal of extending eX3 to span the full compute continuum and place it as the Norwegian node of the pan-European experimental infrastructure SLICES,” said Bruaset.

What does the evaluation suggest for Simula’s future? 

Since its inception in 2001, Simula’s research has been subject to six full-scale RCN commissioned evaluations – all with very strong results. These evaluations have been invaluable to shaping Simula, and the recommendations offered by the EVALMIT expert panel provide useful guide posts in refining plans for the coming years. 

“While we are delighted with the results of the EVALMIT report, we also know that we can - and should - always strive to improve,” said Røstad. “The report will be a valuable guide as we develop the new strategy for Simula this spring, and as we continue to reach higher and dig deeper.”

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