The project

Urban infrastructure systems and their effective and reliable operation ensure delivery of energy, mobility, public security and information, on a daily basis and during unforeseeable situations. Yet with an ever-increasing frequency, industries and communities face emergencies. Hence there is a need to find a new way of thinking about how to plan, design, build and manage cities under more challenging conditions. The DTRF project addresses the need by building and strengthening research and education within disruptive technologies for critical infrastructure resilience. Disruptive technologies, like AI, Big Data Technologies, predictive data analytics, Digital Twin and Cloud offer a promising support to authorities and policy-makers in better understanding the new context and in making more effective decisions, predicting critical events and risks and taking advantage of future opportunities.

Students will develop a common understanding of knowledge gaps, research methods, technologies and analytics requirements in critical infrastructure resilience, and tie this work into pressing societal information needs. The DTRF research and education network is coordinated by Western Norway Research Institute. The collaboration with university partners in Norway, USA, China, India and Japan, builds sustainable relationships by exploiting the experience, resources, research infrastructure, and complementary expertise of the partners. The DTRF allows for efficient exchange of students, researchers and faculty members that will increase the international collaboration between the project partners. Innovative course curriculum, increased interaction and reciprocal mobility contribute with a strong and robust international group that engages and encourages affiliated students to get involved in multidisciplinary research topics. A vivid research and learning environment enhances excellence in research and education, which benefits all project participants.

Concept

The DTRF concept and approach behind the main objective focuses on the following three key aspects and support measures:

• Mutual learning and capacity building: Education and exchange of best practices in partner institutions, through course projects, curriculum, learning materials, workshops, etc.

• Creating professional basis: The DTRF project will draw up annual summaries of its field of study which also looks ahead. There will be a blend of state-of-the-art reports, position papers and scenarios for future development. This may be a way to provide professional direction for the DTRF as a whole, but can also act for designing more focused subgroups with a long or short life span.

• Shaping new ways for cooperation: Planning and preparation of joint project grant applications for international research funding agencies are essential for sustainability of the project. DTRF will not be static, but will ensure that dynamic dissemination activity with involvement of external experts to get new impulses and disseminate results beyond DTRF.

About INTPART

The DTRF project is a network project under the International Partnerships for Excellent Education and Research (INTPART) (external link). The main goal of INTPART is to develop world class higher education and research institutions in Norway by promoting and funding long term institutional partnerships with strong academic groups and institutions in eight prioritized countries: Brazil, Canada, China, India, Japan, Russia, South Africa and the USA.

Knowledge Resources

Master level course on Applied Causal Inference developed within the DTRF partnership.

• Big Data & Emerging Technologies Group’s Seminar Series

• HVL Data Science Seminar Series

• DTRF relevant tools, data, software and other resources are provided on RESOURCE page

Digital Transformation utilizing disruptive technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, edge computing, and blockchain is a fundamental reality for businesses, industry as well as our society today