Sigma2`s mission is to offer high-performance computing (HPC) and large-scale data storage to researchers in Norway.
The Universities of Bergen, Oslo, Tromsø, and NTNU work closely with Sigma2 to operate the national services. The collaboration is known as NRIS (Norwegian research infrastructure services).
Together we strive to fulfil our vision: "Enhancing excellent research for a better world".
About Sigma2 AS
Sigma2 AS has strategic responsibility for and manages the national e-infrastructure for large-scale data- and computational science in Norway.
Sigma2 provides access to high-performance computing and data storage to individuals and groups involved in research and education at all Norwegian universities and colleges, and other publicly funded organisations and projects.
Sigma2 also coordinates Norway's participation in international collaborations on e-infrastructure. The business is run non-profit. Sigma2 has its head office in Trondheim.
Sigma2 was previously a subsidiary of Uninett AS and is now owned by Sikt. On 1 January 2022, the Ministry of Education and Research established Sikt, the Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research. The former organisations Uninett AS, Unit and NSD make up the new agency.
About NRIS
Our activities are jointly financed by the Research Council of Norway and consortium partners: the Universities of Bergen, Oslo, Tromsø, and NTNU.
Our collaboration goes by the name NRIS (Norwegian research infrastructure services). NRIS is an important foundation for the successful collaboration to pool competencies, resources, and provide e-infrastructure services in Norway.
NRIS consists of highly qualified IT staff at NTNU and the Universities of Bergen, Oslo and Tromsø and employees at Sigma2, counting almost 50 people.
Together, we form a geographically distributed competence network that ensures that all researchers who use the national e-infrastructure have quick and easy access to domain-specific support close to the user.
The core activities of NRIS
- Joint operation of the national HPC and storage systems.
- Unified user support, including a common national help desk.
- High-Level Support/Advanced User Support.
- Shared training and dissemination of resources and activities.
- Participation in international partnerships and projects related to e-infrastructure.
The history of the national e-infrastructure in Norway
If you are curious about how Norway has been investing in e-infrastructure to advance research throughout the decades, you should check out A journey through the history of the Norwegian e-infrastructure