Foto: Eivind Senneset
This week, and the previous ones, have naturally been marked by the work on the area reduction process, and as I mentioned at the general meeting on Tuesday, I will provide an overview here in Bionytt of where we stand today.
The basis for this process, as most of you know, is that we have for several years been working to restore financial balance and recover from a large financial deficit. This work started in January 2022 and is still ongoing. It includes, among other things, a hiring freeze, cost cuts, a focus on increasing BOA (externally funded activity) income and other revenues.
In 2022, we carried out our first round of area reductions. Over the course of 2022 and 2023, we relinquished a total of about 3500 m² through one large and two smaller processes. When we began this work in 2022, we realized that a single round of area reduction would likely not be sufficient. Increases in rent over the coming years would erode the savings. We therefore expected and planned for a new area reduction process after a couple of years—and that’s where we are today.
Work on the second round of area reductions began at the start of 2025. We currently occupy 16,600 m² and have an annual rent of NOK 40 million. In March, we established a working group to explore possibilities for reducing our space usage. The group’s mandate was to look into solutions involving concentrating our activity into fewer buildings, enabling us to vacate one or parts of our current buildings.
At present, we are located in:
- Thormøhlensgate 53 A (almost entirely; 3,740 m²)
- Thormøhlensgate 53 B (mostly; 4,161 m²)
- Thormøhlensgate 55 Bioblokken (partly; 6,952 m²)
In other words, BIO is currently evenly distributed between T53 and T55.
The working group considered several scenarios and landed on a proposal that was presented at the general meeting. It entails vacating Thormøhlensgate 53 A and concentrating our activities in Thormøhlensgate 53 B and Thormøhlensgate 55 Bioblokken. This solution will affect almost all employees and tenants at the institute and will reduce our area by 4,000 m² and about 25% of our rental costs.
As outlined at the general meeting on Tuesday, May 13th, the main parts of the proposal being evaluated are as follows: consolidating BIO into Block B (T53) + Bioblokk (T55) and relinquishing Block A (T53). In short, this means gathering the academic groups Ecology and Evolution and Fisheries- and Marine Biology on the 2nd and 3rd floors of Block B (T53). This will require renovations to suit the needs of the relocating academic groups. It also means vacating the 4th and 5th floors of Block B (T53), although we would like to retain the possibility of using the 5th floor in the future.
Relinquishing Block A (T53) has a significant impact in terms of space reduction and aligns with UiB’s strategic incentives for area reduction. Block A has less technical infrastructure and is thus a logical choice for vacating an entire building. The Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology academic groups will move to the 5th and 3rd floors of the Bioblokk (T55), respectively. The administration will move from Block A (T53) to the 5th floor of the Bioblokk (T55), and we propose establishing a new teaching lab on the 4th or 5th floor of the Bioblokk (T55). A new shared social/coffee area for all of BIO has also been proposed!
Moving and establishing new infrastructure and workspaces in blokk B T53 and the T55 Bioblokk will require some investment. To assess the feasibility of this solution, we’ve been in dialogue with EIA (Estate and Facilities Management division) to clarify whether such investments are possible. EIA is positive about the solution and, although no decisions have been made, they are ready to explore it in more detail. This involves drawing up and planning potential solutions and producing a cost estimate to support further decision-making.
So far, we have briefed the leadership team and safety representatives at BIO on Monday, May 12, and all staff at a general meeting on Tuesday, May 13. We also gave a briefing to the “Forhandlingsutvalget” (FU) on Wednesday, May 14, and will present to the “Informasjons- og drøftingsutvalg“ (IDU) on Tuesday, June 3.
Next week, BIO will begin the detailed evaluation of the proposal. It is important that all staff contribute to this process. We want the “Faggrupper”, safety representatives, working group, and EIA to work together to examine the proposal in detail, focusing on areas and processes that affect each group. Each “Faggruppe” will hold such meetings, and several groups may collaborate where it makes sense. We have not agreed on a timeline for this with EIA, but we hope that the project planning can be completed before the summer holidays.
The working group will then finalize its report and propose a solution, and EIA must also make its decisions. The report will be sent for consultation to all at BIO. After that, a final decision will be made by the institute.
From my perspective, there are many considerations to take into account. I am especially focused on avoiding long-term negative consequences for BIO’s academic activities and development. I also want us to aim for solutions that lead to a positive daily work environment for employees. Co-location to better utilize infrastructure, instrumentation, and laboratories will be a key focus! The establishment of a shared social meeting place has long been a wish, and we must find good solutions that work for the entire institute. The student learning environment is very important to us, and we want to maintain ongoing dialogue with student organizations to accommodate their needs and wishes.
As the proposal currently stands, it would reduce BIO’s space by 4,000 m² and cut rent by nearly 25% compared to current costs. This would make a significant contribution to reducing our budget deficit. At the same time, it is important to keep in mind the considerations I mentioned above so that we achieve a well-organized and proper process that gives us a result we can live well with in terms of our work environment and academic responsibilities. I encourage everyone at BIO to take a walk around the institute and get more familiar with all our spaces, so that you are well informed when the upcoming changes are being discussed.
This is a challenging process for everyone at BIO, and we will enter into dialogue with the faculty leadership about incentives that could compensate us for implementing such a cost-saving cut. We have important tasks and challenges ahead of us, and we must ensure we are well-positioned to carry out both research and teaching in a strong and academically sound way.
Yesterday, Thursday, May 15, Professor Katja Enberg from BIO was awarded the Olav Thon Foundation Prize for Excellent Teaching 2025. Congratulations, Katja – well deserved! Congratulations also to Professor Monica Jordheim from the Department of Chemistry, UiB, who was also among the prize winners.
Also yesterday, for the first time, the “Student Poster Symposium” was held at the Realfagbygget for the entire NT. This event is a continuation of BIO’s own “Student Poster Symposium,” which won “Ugleprisen” 2024. I stopped by to take a look, and it is clear that the event was a success. Many great posters and a room full of students engaged in academic discussions in front of the posters. A dedicated news article about this will be featured in the next issue of Bionytt. Congratulations on a well-executed event!
Finally, I’d like to wish everyone a great weekend and a wonderful 17th of May!