Simula Milestones

The highlights of Simula's history

Simula - first 20 years

In 2022, Simula celebrated its 20th anniversary with presentations of Simula's history, inspirations for the future, and the official opening of Simula's new headquarters in Tullinløkka (Oslo). Read more about Simula's first 20 years in the anniversary booklet.

2021

  • Simula Research Laboratory turns 20 years old.
  • SecurityScorecard awards Professor Olav Lysne the Trust and Transparency Award for his book "The Huawei and Snowden Questions: Can Electronic Equipment from Untrusted Vendors be Verified."
  • Simula UiB turns five years old.
  • Simula surpasses 150 successful PhD disputations. In 2021 alone, 14 candidates successfully defended their PhD thesis.
  • Two new volumes in the SpringerBriefs series are published: "Mobile Edge Computing" and "Benefit/Cost-Driven AgileSoftware Development".
  • SimulaMet opens a new research department: Signal and Information processing for Intelligent Systems (SIGIPRO)
  • Simula@BI officially opens. Simula@BI is a collaboration between Simula and BI, focused on applied and fundamental research in the intersection between data science and business. The goal is to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers and enhance education programmes' quality.
  • Simula Research Laboratory and its subsidiaries, Simula Learning, Simula Academy, Simula Consulting and Simula Innovation, move into new offices in Kristian August gate 23, downtown Oslo. 
  • Simula launches the Simula Academy, a new educational unit focused on researcher training and continuous professional development.

2020

  • Simula Consulting is established. Simula Consulting offers high-quality R&D consulting services within Simula's core research competencies (Director: Dr Valeriya Namova). 
  • The SimulaMet Interoperability Lab (SMIL) was launched. SMIL is an experimental environment for research and innovation related to wireless technologies in a multi-vendor environment focusing on 5G and IoT. The lab has been granted a dedicated 5G and 4G wireless spectrum from the Norwegian Communication Authority for wireless coverage for the laboratory, making it one of few research institutions in the world to hold such spectrums for research purposes. 
  • On behalf of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI), Simula develops a voluntary app to facilitate contact tracing in efforts to counter the spread of Covid-19 infections. The app is named "Smittestopp".
  • NORA's nine institutions join forces with a new artificial intelligence strategy.
  • Simula@BI is established. The purpose of Simula@BI is to facilitate collaboration on research and teaching in data science between BI Norwegian Business School and Simula Research Laboratory.
  • EDOS, a new centre named "Effective Digitalisation of Public Sector", opens at SimulaMet. The centre will study, learn from, and share knowledge related to digitalisation projects in the public sector. The centre is funded by the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation.  
  • Simula and Inria (the National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation) sign an MoU. Inria and Simula have a long-standing collaboration with a wide scientific footprint. Currently, two departments at Simula are also connected with Inria through an associated team.  

2019

  • Simula School of Research and Innovation and the Norwegian Center for Space-Related Education (NAROM) entered into a cooperation agreement to strengthen science and technology subjects at Norwegian Schools.
  • Simula sells its shares in Kalkulo. Kalkulo was established in 2006 as a commercial subsidiary of Simula Research Laboratory providing cutting edge software solutions for complex challenges. The profit from the sale was reinvested into Simula's activities. 
  • The Norwegian Artificial Intelligence Research Consortium (NORA), of which Simula is a founding partner, has its official kick-off. 
  • Simula joins ERCIM - the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematica.  
  • Senior Research Scientist Michael Rigeler at SimulaMet becomes a member of Akademiet for Yngre Forskere (The Young Academy of Norway).

2018

  • The Simula Metropolitan Centre for Digital Engineering was officially opened in January of 2018 (director: Prof. Olav Lysne).
  • Dr Marie Rognes won the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters 2018 prize for young researchers within the natural sciences.
  • Simula announced the Baby Bonus, which actively promotes a family-friendly environment for all employees.

2017

  • All research areas at Simula were graded "excellent", following a comprehensive evaluation of Simula's research activities by an international panel of experts (report available here).
  • Simula received nine new PhD positions from the Ministry of Education and Research.
  • A formal agreement was signed by Simula and Oslo Metropolitan University (previously University College of Oslo) to officially start the new collaborative research centre, focussing on digital engineering.
  • International Conference on Computational Science and Engineering was held in memory of Hans Petter Langtangen (1962 – 2016). The conference was attended by approximately 100 participants, spanned three days and covered Langtangen's main areas of interest: scientific software, education in CSE, and biomedical applications.
  • A new 10-year strategy for Simula was developed and published (Simula Strategy 2018-2028).

2016

  • Dr Marie Rognes was awarded the prestigious Starting Grant from the European Research Council. The grant is given to young and promising research leaders to promote independence and career development.
  • Simula and the University College of Oslo (now OsloMet) announce an agreement to collaborate on a new research and educational centre within digital engineering.
  • Deputy Managing Director of Simula, Kyrre Lekve, visited six countries and eleven research organisations to investigate how fundamental research is organised outside the University sector in other countries. The results were presented in the report, "Missed opportunities: National research labs in Norway".
  • The research centre Simula@UiB opens. Situated in Bergen, Simula@UiB is a research centre owned by Simula Research Laboratory and the University of Bergen (UiB). The centre's overall goal is to increase the security expertise in Norway through research and education. 
  • Professor Magne Jørgensen was appointed to the Norwegian government's Digitisation Council, which was created in 2016 in order to provide project assistance within digitisation to governmental instances.
  • Professor Olav Lysne, Section Director of Communication Systems at Simula, is appointed to head a second government committee on digital vulnerability.

2015

  • The Simula–UiO–UCSD Research and PhD (SUURPh) training collaboration in computational biomedicine is established, receiving support from the government for eight PhDs, equally split between Simula and UiO.
  • Simula and UiB join forces to create a research centre with the aim to conduct research, education, and innovation of ICT cybersecurity, receiving core funding from the Ministry of Transport of Communications.

2014

  • Simula gets a record turnout of EU projects within the Horizon2020 LEIT-ICT programme, with an unprecedented success rate of 40% as four of ten projects were granted. In comparison, the global success rate was 12.8%, and the turnout makes Simula the 6th largest recipient of funding in LEIT-ICT.
  • By successfully achieving five FRINATEK projects with the Norwegian Research Council in 2014, Simula has in fact since 2011 received a total of nine FRINATEK projects – on a par with the University of Bergen and surpassed only by the University of Oslo and NTNU.
  • The Norwegian government granted funding for the educational collaboration programme in computational biomedicine between Simula, UCSD and UiO (SUURPh).
  • Professor Olav Lysne, Section Director of Communication Systems at Simula, is appointed to head a government committee on digital vulnerability.

2013

  • Gründergarasjen, Simula's Innovation arena, opens its doors for IT-oriented entrepreneurs.
  • Simula celebrates the opening of the Center for Resilient Networks and Applications. This center is a permanent extension of the Resilient Networks project, funded by the Ministry of Transport and Communication.
  • Simula is awarded the Gender Equality Award for 2013 by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. The award is given to the institution with the foremost regimen for improving its gender balance.
  • Simula and the University of Bergen initiates a joint effort in forming a research group in cyber security and cryptology, with the ambition to establish a permanent presence of Simula in Bergen.

2012

  • In the national evaluation of research in ICT, Simula receives the top score "excellent" for two of the research areas and "very good" for the third. Nationally, only 5 of the 61 evaluated research groups scored "excellent", and Simula ranks 1st in the country with respect to average scores.
  • Together with six partners, Simula is awarded a European FP7 project, RITE (Reducing Internet Latency). Simula is coordinating the project.

2011

  • Simula is awarded a Centre for Research-based Innovation by the Research Council of Norway: the Certus Centre, headed by Arnaud Gotlieb.
  • Oslo University Hospital is awarded a Centre for Research-based Innovation: the Centre for Cardiological Innovation, with Simula and GE VingMed Ultrasound as equal partners. Dr. Molly Maleckar is head of the Simula branch.
  • Together with seven partners, Simula is awarded a European FP7 project, OPENCOSS (Open Platform for Evolutionary Certification of Safety-critical Systems).
  • Simula and Statoil expand their collaboration and enter into a five-year agreement for the 5DPaleoEarth project.

2010

  • Simula proposes to establish an educational collaboration with the University of California, San Diego and the University of Oslo.
  • The Ministry of Transport and Communications funds the Resilient Networks project for another five years.
  • The Journal of Systems and Software ranks Simula as the world's most productive institution in systems and software research. Professor Magne Jørgensen is again ranked as the worlds' most productive researcher within the field.
  • The Ministry of Education and Research acquires 100% ownership of Simula.
  • The future location is settled, and Simula enters into a new 10-year contract with IT Fornebu.

2009

  • Simula is evaluated with strong results: one department is rated "excellent in every aspect", the second department is "excellent", and the third department is" very good with excellent elements".
  • The book "Simula Research Laboratory – by thinking constantly about it" is published by Springer.
  • Simula enters into a long-term contract under Statoil's Academia program, the only non-university institution in the program.

2008

  • Professor Magne Jørgensen is ranked number one in a worldwide assessment of the most productive systems and software engineering scholars published in the Journal of Systems and Software.
  • Simula is ranked third in the same assessment on the list of the world's most productive research institutions within systems and software engineering.

2007

  • Simula School of Research and Innovation is established: Simula Research Laboratory (56%), Statoil (21%), The Municipality of Bærum (14%), Telenor (7%), Norwegian Computing Centre (1%), SINTEF (1%). 
  • Simula researcher Dr. Anders Logg is awarded the Outstanding Young Investigator Grant from the Research Council of Norway. 
  • Professor Lionel Briand is hired at Simula.

2006

  • All parties present in the Parliament officially support the 10-year extension of Simula's contract. 
  • Simula is awarded a Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Computing from the Research Council of Norway, headed by Professor Hans Petter Langtangen. 
  • The Ministry of Transport and Communications allocates funding for the period 2006–2010 to the Resilient Networks project. 
  • Kalkulo is established (100% owned by Simula). Its main intention is to establish an organisational distinction between commercial contract research and basic research activities at Simula.

2005

  • In light of the evaluation of 2004, the Research Council of Norway decides to extend its contract with Simula until 2010. 
  • Simula and Hydro (now Equinor) begin a significant research collaboration that continues to expand up to the present day. 
  • The Annual General Meeting of Simula announces that the Ministry of Research and Education takes a positive view of Simula's collaboration with Hydro and that it encourages Simula to seek similar agreements that will contribute to innovation in industry and society.

2004

  • Simula is evaluated: one department is rated "excellent", the second department is well on its way to the same rating, and the third department is also most promising. 
  • The evaluation committee recommends that Simula be put on a 5+5 year contract. 
  • Simula researcher Dr. Joakim Sundnes is awarded the Outstanding Young Investigator Grant from the Research Council of Norway. 
  • Simula Innovation is established (100% owned by Simula) to promote the transition of Simula research into practice. 
  • The Norwegian government states that funding of Simula no longer requires a location at Fornebu.

2003

  • Simula's strategy of directed basic research is formulated.

2002

  • Kristin Clemet officially opened Simula, then Minister of Research and Education. 
  • Simula is established as a limited company owned by the government (80%), SINTEF (10%) and the Norwegian Computing Centre (10%). 
  • Professor Aslak Tveito is appointed leader of Simula.

2001

  • Simula is established as a project at the University of Oslo with three scientific fields: networks, scientific computing and software engineering.
  • Simula moves to Fornebu