Linköping University in Norrköping is, in many ways, a world leader within media technology and visualisation. This competence is highlighted through, amongst other things, NVIS – Norrköping Visualisation and Interaction Studio which transposes the progress of the researchers into popular, public viewings. This is something that has helped to bring about the establishment of the new visualisation centre. Construction work is due to begin during late autumn and with completion is expected in December 2008. The centre is to be located in Kopparhammaren, next door to Norrköping Science Park.

- Both Linköping University and Norrköping Municiaplity see great opportunities from the knowledge associated with visualisation and new medias in Norrköping. We wish to create easier accessibility to public viewings and arouse interest both within those living in our region as well as young people from other areas of Sweden and perhaps even from other parts of the world, to come and study at Linköping University, says Peter Andersson, Municipal Coordinator for the Visualisation Project.

The building will house not only a new and larger laboratory but also an exhibition arena, space for offices and an attractive café beside the water. One distinguishing part of the building is the Virtual Reality Theatre which will liken an enormous sphere and is projected to become five times larger than an existing theatre which has room for 25 people.
- Public interest for the virtual space trips which NVIS arrange is increasing all the time. To build a larger theatre therefore requires the creation of better opportunities for companies, schools and other interested parties to benefit from the University’s competencies, says Peter.

There the exhibition arena will comprise in part of an art hall with strong technical associations and partly of a number of interactive stations incorporating fun, modern and visualisation techniques. To the side of this is planned a 30 metre pedestrian bridge over the Strömmen river connecting Campus and Norrköping Science Park.

- Liu has plans to install the University’s researchers headed by Anders Ynnerman in offices within the new visualisation building which will give them speedy access over to the University. This will be a clear symbol of the links between the University and the private sector, says Peter who also added that there are a number of spin-off plans relating to the construction of the visualisation building. At the moment the idea of moving Norrköpings film operations to the neighbouring building is being looked into. This will further increase the pressure on this expansive area.

- That the building is actually being built is due to the increased number of researchers and experts in this field over the last few years. Also Norrköping Municipality and the University have “found one another”, and relations between the two involved property owners, Akademiska Hus and Klövern is good, says Peter. He also added that they have succeeded in finding financial solutions for the project which in part will come from ticket sales though cooperation with the private sector, researchers and the community and also with contributions from research financiers amongst others.

- The Municipality has been actively involved in issues relating to trade and industry and would like to see Campus develop. It is in the interest of the Municipality to make NVIS more public and therefore put Norrköping firmly on the world map. Besides the transposition of knowledge and teaching which are key issues for this project, an idea that researchers from various institutions should be able to cooperate with a number of companies within Norrköping Science Park who have key competencies within the field of visualisation, says Peter.

Investment promotes both research as well as development, the formation of new companies and thus increased employment in Norrköping as well as continued development of the industrial landscape.

- This building is important as it proves that Norrköping has been transformed into a knowledge city. This is the icing on the cake in the development and exposure which has taken off these last 10 years, says Peter.

The Visualisation Centre is the name of the whole project. The actual building has been named Citilab Norrköping.
- This name refers to an exciting meeting place for inhabitants, the community, research and development. Citi stands for Citizen and refers to both city and IT whilst lab infers a place where things happen, where people interact and participate. This is a good name which summarises what this is all about, concludes Peter.