Will head international technology centre
Sture Pettersen, who has many years of experience as the Vice-Chair of the Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine, has been appointed to the position of administrative head of the Tromsø Telemedicine Laboratory (TTL).
Together with the academic head, Professor Gunnar Hartvigsen from the University of Tromsø, he will be responsible for developing an international technology centre in Tromsø after the Research Council of Norway designated this initiative as a Centre for Research-based Innovation (SFI) in June.
Strong professional background
Sture Pettersen graduated as a technologist from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim and has worked at the Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine since 1994. In recent years he has been the Vice-Chair at the Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine. At the same time he has had management responsibility for the Health Service Programme, focusing on the use of telemedicine in the specialist health service.
Professor Gunnar Hartvigsen has a doctoral degree in informatics (artificial intelligence) from the University of Tromsø. Since 1994 he has been employed as Professor of Informatics at the University in Tromsø, where he heads the group for medical informatics and telemedicine. He is also attached to the Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine.
Long-term research
With the nomination of TTL as a Centre for Research-based Innovation, North Norway obtains a unique opportunity to develop a strong technological community within the next five to eight years.
-This will strengthen innovation through long-term telemedicine research in a close partnership between research-intensive enterprises and leading research communities in Norway and abroad. The results of the research from TTL will form the basis for a new enterprises and products within eHealth with the whole world as their marketplace, comments Sture Pettersen.
Steering committee
During the second half of 2006, a steering committee will be formed for the SFI programme in Tromsø. Important agreements between the 10 partners in the collaborative group will also be negotiated.
The Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine is the host institution for the Tromsø Telemedicine Laboratory, but is working together with nine respected partners. These are the University of Tromsø; Telenor R&D, IBM R& D in Zürich, the independent research institute Norut IT; DIPS in Bodø, which supplies electronic patient record and patient administration systems; Well Diagnostics in Tromsø; WPR Medical in Arendal; the Northern Norway Regional Health Authority's ICT programme; and Norsk Helsenett, the Norwegian health network. The concept also includes agreements with major international universities in Munich, Aalborg, Oregon and Berkeley.
Contact:
Hilde Pettersen, Head of Information, the NST
Tel. +47 991 03 794, E-mail: hilde.pettersen@telemed.no
The photo shows representatives from the SFI-partners at the first SFI-meeting September 8th in Tromsø.
Photo by Jarl-Stian Olsen, NST
FACTS ABOUT SFI:
The Research Council of Norway's programme of Centres for Research-based Innovation (SFI) is intended to build up or strengthen Norwegian research communities that work in close interaction with innovative business and industry. The objective is to support long-term research that promotes innovation and competitiveness in the business sector.
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