MANULAB aims at creating research infrastructure capable of performing cutting edge research with state-of-the art equipment, and to support the Norwegian manufacturing industry to increase its global competitiveness and sustainability.

MANULAB will serve national interests as a national infrastructure for manufacturing research and will strengthen Norwegian cutting-edge research and will contribute to a competitive and sustainable manufacturing industry in Norway.

The infrastructure will be open to researchers across Norway and will consist of a well-integrated network of 11 infrastructure nodes (laboratories) in Gjøvik, Oslo, Trondheim and Ålesund.

Research activities will include basic research on Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 1-4 with added benefits of industrial demonstrations, dissemination, learning-/technology transfer and education. MANULAB will be complementary to other existing and planned infrastructures and centers, such as catapult centers.

Focus areas are

  • Additive manufacturing research
  • Research on joining technologies
  • Cyber-Physical Manufacturing Systems (CPMS) and Industry 4.0
  • Flexible automated manufacturing
  • Learning factory and the design of future workplaces
  • Research for Light Weight Materials Manufacturing

 

Partners are: Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), SINTEF AS (SINTEF) and SINTEF Manufacturing AS.