Digital Life Norway (DLN) has been a national center for biotechnology research, education, and innovation funded as a strategic initiative by the Research Council of Norway. DLN 2.0 (2021-2026) was funded as a continuation of DLN 1.0 (2016-2021) with seven partner institutions: NTNU, UiO, UiB, UiT, NMBU, SINTEF, and OUS.
The center succeeded in its goal of serving as a national meeting place across research projects, institutions, and sectors. The center coordinated a network of 57 biotechnology research projects in Norway in health, marine, industrial biotechnology, and related fields. The core activities of DLN 2.0 were to create synergies by addressing challenges in digital biotechnology through different approaches and stimulate collaboration that goes beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Through small, flexible tools such as seed funding, thematic workshops, and networking events, new expertise was created and new learning arenas were established. DLN 2.0 carried out over 100 activities with more than 1,400 participants, including Norwegian Bioinformatics Days, Modelling Living Systems courses, a so-called “Walkshop” in Rondane National Park, and a Policy Forum series with the RCN. New collaborative constellations across disciplines, institutions, and sectors were created thanks to regular seed funding calls, such as the Cross-project grants, Transdisciplinary side quest, and Impact Call.
Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). RRI was integrated, implemented, and valued across DLN, with continuous competence building and advice for the network and member projects. Through long-term engagement with academic communities and networks, the RRI coordinators played a key role in developing the center's strategy and ensuring that biotechnology is placed in a societal and ethical context.
Education. Through close collaboration with the DLN research school, the center reached a large, engaged, and diverse cohort of young researchers (approx. 1,000 members), particularly through training in RRI, innovation, and data management. In addition, DLN enabled researchers to explore new roles, perspectives, and career paths, including data manager/data steward and innovation advisors, expert roles that are now considered necessary research infrastructure. The center established an industry internship program for PhD candidates, which was highlighted as a unique flagship initiative in the Norwegian context; 40 internships (from approximately 200 applicants) were completed in Norway and three other countries at leading biotech companies and start-ups (e.g., AstraZeneca, AKVA Group, Authera, and Cytiva). Unfortunately, attempts to anchor the internship program at host institutions were not as successful. A similar internship scheme for postdoctoral fellows is being tested in 2026 through the Innovation Roadmap project.
Data. Over 500 people received training in data management through DLN 2.0. DLN contributed to increased use of digital methods and a stronger culture of innovation in Norwegian biotechnology. The integration of NeLS and the SEEK platform established the basis for FAIR-based data management and inspired the BioMedData project. DLN highlighted data management, research software engineering, and other related ICT work that is often underestimated but necessary for progress in data-intensive life sciences.
Innovation. DLN filled a critical gap in the innovation system for early-stage researchers (pre-TTO). The Innovation Roadmap project used DLN's project network to test pilots to increase innovation capacity and knowledge transfer from academic research and stimulate knowledge transfer.
Research policy. DLN actively contributed to the development of Norwegian research policy through consultation statements, Arendalsuka, public seminars, etc. DLN 2.0 continued in the tradition of DLN 1.0 with reflection and learning processes as an integral part of the center's activities. However, it is challenging to measure the center's influence and understand how well (or poorly) the center achieved its vision without anchoring these in key performance indicators or more specific guidance from the RCN. Furthermore, operating a geographically dispersed center with seven host institutions had advantages and disadvantages, and these should be taken into account when designing future national centers.
Summary. DLN 2.0’s main contributions are primarily the continuation of DLN-developed practices for RRI, interdisciplinary collaboration, FAIR data management, and early-stage innovation support, as well as supporting a generation of researchers moving into leading positions in research and industry. DLN’s experience suggests that transformation cannot rely solely on building a guiding “lighthouse.” It requires clear mandate and authority, long-term institutional commitments, and alignment of incentives. Future initiatives should embed these elements from the outset to achieve lasting impact.
Virkninger og effekter
Digital Life Norway 2.0
Senter for Digitalt Liv Norge (DLN) har gjennom ti år styrket bioteknologi i Norge gjennom å fremme tverrfaglig samarbeid, bygge kultur for innovasjon, og bidra til ansvarlig og bærekraftig verdiskaping med et uttalt mål om å transformere norsk bioteknologiforskning. DLN 2.0 (2021-26) er en videreføring av Senter for Digitalt Liv Norge (2016-21). Den samlede effekten DLN har hatt på systemisk transformasjon vil imidlertid kreve langsiktig evaluering.
1) Videreført nasjonalt samarbeid: DLN 2.0 har videreutviklet en nasjonal, virtuell infrastruktur for bioteknologisk forskning på tvers av flere universiteter, institutter og helseforetak. DLN etablerte nasjonale møteplasser gjennom årlige konferanser, kurs og tematiske workshopserier og samarbeidet med en portefølje av 50 biotek forskningsprosjekter. Erfaringene har også avdekket sårbarheter, som f.eks. at strukturell transformasjon krever sterkere institusjonell forankring, tydelig mandat og myndighet til å påvirke porteføljer og insentiver enn det et tidsavgrenset nettverksprosjekt har hatt.
2) Styrket transdisiplinær forskning blant yngre forskere: Gjennom tett samarbeid med DLN forskerskolen, nådde senteret ut til en kohort av yngre forskere – totalt ca 1000 personer. Gjennom opplæring i trans- og interdisiplinær metode, særlig innenfor RRI, innovasjon og datahåndtering har forskerskolen bidratt til å forme en ny generasjon ledere i forskning og næringsliv, både i Norge og utlandet.
3) Arbeidslivsrelevans: Industry internship-programmet for ph.d.-kandidater ble fremhevet som et unikt flaggskipinitiativ i norsk sammenheng. I perioden 2020-2025 har DLN gjennomført 40 internships (fra ca 200 søkere) hos både ledende biotek-bedrifter og start-ups i 4 land.
4) Innovasjon og tidligfase-støtte: Senteret lyktes i å levere støtte og rådgivning til forskere som jobber nærmere grunnforskning og lave teknologimodningsnivåer (TRL), hvor TTO-støtte kan oppleves som mindre relevant eller utilgjengelig. Kommende leveranser fra Innovation Roadmap-prosjektet vil utdype dette punktet.
5) Avansert datahåndtering: DLN har bidratt til økt bruk av digitale metoder og en tydeligere innovasjonskultur i norsk bioteknologi. Integrasjonen av NeLS og SEEK-plattformen etablerte grunnlag for FAIR-basert dataforvaltning og inspirerte BioMedData-prosjektet.
6) RRI-integrering og samfunnsperspektiv: RRI-koordinatorene har vært sentrale i å utvikle senterets målstrategi og sikre at bioteknologi plasseres i en samfunnsmessig og etisk kontekst. Samtidig viser erfaringene at RRI-intensitetsnivået (typisk ca. 5% av budsjett) trolig var for lavt til å oppnå en dypere transformativ kraft i forskningsprosjektene.
7) Refleksjon og læring: DLN 2.0 videreutviklet arven etter DLN 1.0 med refleksjons- og læringsprosesser som en integrert del av senterets virksomhet.
Dokumentarkiv inkl årsrapporter fra DLN 1.0 og 2.0: https://zenodo.org/records/15827500
[KI ble brukt for oversettelser.]
Centre for Digital Life Norway (DLN) is an ambitious, large-scale initiative to foster and boost transdisciplinary biotechnology research and innovation, creating value and solving challenges of societal importance in the framework of responsible research and innovation.
DLN2.0 will continue to focus on enabling convergence of biotechnology and molecular life sciences with computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics and statistics as well as with social sciences and the humanities to understand, control and utilize highly complex biological systems.
The competence hub, the strategic and operational core of DLN, consists of an expert task force with representatives from the seven partner institutions (NTNU, UiO, UiB, OUS, SINTEF, NMBU and UiT), a scientific director and an operational management team. The hub will focus on five competence areas: data and models; communication and internationalisation; innovation and industry; responsible research and innovation, and change management; and training and career development.
The primary objective of the DLN2.0 competence hub is to enable, support and guide the research projects and researchers associated with the centre in a transformation process, by building on the already established community, creating model systems to foster and support responsible research and innovation as well as sharing of data and open science, in interaction with all players in the value chain. The hub will act as an agent of change so that the experiences from DLN as a research and innovation policy pilot inspire institutional change in the owner institutions and other research performing organisations in Norway. Involvement with key actors including universities, the institute sector and the industry is needed to secure a lasting impact of the transformation efforts made within the centre. Efforts will be put into becoming a visible actor and a beacon for transdisciplinary digital biotechnology across Norway and internationally.
