Here is the final report of BigInsight (2015—2024), which was one of the third generation Norwegian Centres for Research-based Innovation. It was funded by the Research Council of Norway and by fifteen partners.
Final report
summary
Objectives and vision: When we started in 2015, BigInsight was the first AI centre in Norway. We did not call it AI at the time, but machine learning: “BigInsight’s objective is to develop methods, algorithms and computational tools in model based statistics and machine learning to solve innovation challenges at our partners and in science and society.” More specifically, we identified two broad, yet precise challenges: personalised solutions and prediction of transient phenomena. These two areas have developed in these nine years to become main pillars of contemporary machine learning.
“We identified two broad, yet precise challenges: personalised solutions and prediction of transient phenomena.”
Consortium and categories of partners: The consortium consists of one research institute (NR, host), two universities (UiO and UiB), three public research organisations (OUS, NIPH, Cancer Registry of Norway), three public service partners (NAV, Skatteetaten, Statistics Norway), and six private companies (DNB, Gjensidige, ABB, DNV, Telenor, Norsk Hydro). Of these, Statistics Norway joined BigInsight in 2018, while all the others were part of the centre from day one. All the partners are large organisations and key players in the Norwegian economy and welfare state.
“We quickly adapted to the rapidly changing research front, where Explainable AI and applying deep learning for new domains are two examples which were important both in terms of innovation and research.”
Scientific results: The scientific footprint of BigInsight is substantial. We have published more than 200 scientific papers and contributed to important new statistical and machine learning methods for example for anomaly detection and monitoring of vessels, personalised computer simulations of breast cancer treatment for tailored treatments, machine learning for prediction of mortgage defaults, Explainable AI taking feature dependence into account, and modelling of COVID-19 in Norway. We have become internationally renowned in Explainable AI – a field that did not exist when BigInsight started in 2015. The foundation for the COVID-19 modelling was laid in BigInsight before the pandemic, and during the pandemic we conducted real time research, where the innovation took place immediately, while the research was published later. BigInsight also produced a considerable number of open software packages.
“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit us, BigInsight was ready and within a few weeks dedicated lots of its resources to this monumental challenge for Norway.”
Results and impact for industry, public sector and society at large: All partners have had a keen interest in the development of new or improved processes or services, building up a strengthened knowledge base, improved access to competent personnel and research institutions, and recruitment of qualified personnel. Some partners that also make use of NR’s contracted research have pointed out that strengthening NR’s competence and foundation is in their interest as well as in NR’s interest. Possibly somewhat surprising, many of the partners really appreciated the informal exchange of knowledge and ideas between private and public actors, and the improved network it provided. From the annual BigInsight day, hosted by the user partners, to the weekly BigInsight lunches as well as other informal or organised meetings across the centre set the stage for this. In the report, we present some of our success stories, which include “Benefits for the maritime industry”, “First in Norway to request authorization from the Norwegian Data Protection Authority for Machine Learning research on personal data“, and “The COVID-19 story”. BigInsight’s greatest achievement and societal impact was the modelling of COVID-19 during the pandemic in Norway.
Researcher training and master’s level education: BigInsight has significantly impacted research and education at the UiO, fostering a thriving data science community. This impact is evident in the establishment of the annual Data Science Day, which attracts 500 attendees, and a new master’s program in data science, a joint venture between the Departments of Mathematics and Informatics. The centre also influenced the mathematics curriculum, introducing courses focused on big data and machine learning, reflecting the growing importance of these fields. Over 45 master's students completed theses with BigInsight, benefiting from joint supervision by university staff, NR researchers, and partner representatives, strengthening connections between these groups. BigInsight supported numerous PhD students, with 26 successfully defending their theses by February 2025, demonstrating its commitment to developing future researchers. The centre also hosted over 30 postdoctoral researchers, contributing to both academia, with some securing permanent positions, and industry, as others transitioned to business roles. Finally, BigInsight's activities contributed to the establishment of dScience, a centre supporting computational and data science research at UiO.
International cooperation: BigInsight's international collaborations have led to several EU funded projects: RESCUER and BD4QoL, both of which utilize data-driven methods to improve breast cancer and head and neck cancer treatments respectively, and ENFIELD, European AI Lighthouse focused on promoting adaptive, green, and trustworthy AI. BigInsight has also played a significant role in the capacity development of higher education in Ethiopia. Besides, BigInsight has had partnerships with STOR-i, University of Lancaster, The Medical Research Council Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, and the Department of Mathematics, University of Minneapolis. Further, BigInsight was a founding partner of a Nordforsk project aimed at creating a joint Nordic long-term academic collaboration on pandemic preparedness using advanced mathematical modelling and systematically collected health data.
Added value of organising the activities as a centre: BigInsight’s results would have been much less pronounced if it had not been organised as a joint centre for research and user partners. The size made it possible to take more risk, divert resources to new ventures, such as Explainable AI, set the stage for formal and informal cooperation across the centre, and, maybe most importantly, be an inspiring place to work.
Legacy of the centre: The centre lives partly on through Integreat, a Centre of Excellence funded by the Research Council of Norway from 2023 with UiO, UiT (The Arctic University of Norway) and NR as partners. A large consortium around BigInsight has applied for a Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence, funded by The Research Council of Norway. This centre – called TRUST – will be approximately twice as big as BigInsight. The funding will be assigned in June 2025.
