During 2007 the C-site was proclaimed one of Sweden’s two meeting places for visualisation. The Centre of Visualisation in Gothenburg is the second. Major research financiers such as KK-Stiftelsen Stiftelsen för Strategisk Forskning, Vinnova, Fårdalstiftelsen as well as Invest in Sweden Agency are all behind this proclamation. All these organisations are involved, in various ways, in strengthening Sweden’s competitiveness. This involvement is long-term and funding has been guaranteed for the coming three years with Norrköping Science Park as host for this meeting place.

This proclamation is based on, amongst other things, a study which has identified visualisation technology as being an area with strong growth potential and offers industrial development and export opportunities.

- An assessment suggests that Sweden has the opportunity to assume a leading position, both regarding research and development of new applications as well as through the creation of new business opportunities for products and services, says Bo Sundborg who is the Process Leader at Norrköping Science Park for visualisation. One of the three profile areas within the Park.

The two meeting places do not compete with one another. In fact they both work side by side in areas such as the network Visard which stands for Visualisation in Sweden – Arenas for Research and Devleopment whose role is to coordinate operations nationally. Besides being a platform for the exchange of experiences it also coordinates research, initiates training courses and arranges common so-called Vision Conferences. The next conference to be held will take place in Gothenburg in April and involve a number of internationally famous researchers, developers, business leaders and media personalities within the visualisation field.

Visualisation……
The term visualisation has many definitions, in brief it is all about making visible and creating through pictures, certain complementary tools can also provide a sensation.

Within the research field, in the health care sector, large and complex amounts of data are produced which are associated with product development and logistics. This also occurs during the build-up of information data bases, Special methods and tools are needed to present this type of data in a comprehensible manner, this is regardless of whether it is used to illustrate science or a game for pleasure. By using the visualisation technique it is possible to create a better foundation on which to base a business decision.

--------a strong area in the region
The choice of the Norrköping/Linköping region as a visualisation meeting place is not particularly strange. At Linköping University in Norrköpig (LiU) civil engineers are being trained to a high level of competence within this field and many other programmes have, since these courses began, a strong base in media techniques and visualisation.

- There are a number of stories about how Anders Ynnerman’s students from Norrköpig have been employed to develop special effects on major Hollywood films, says Bo Sundborg, with a smile on his face

Anders Ynnerman who was awarded “Person of the Year in 2007” is professor at the division for Visual Information Technology and Applications and has been praised both nationally and internationally for his research which has been, in many ways, world leading.

- Anders Ynnerman is one of the driving forces at LiU Norrköing to develop Norrköpings Visualisation and Interaction Studio (NVIS) which is a partner in C-site says Bo Sundborg. His research team has carried out groundbreaking research within visualisation techniques which involve research into a number of applications involving areas such as forensic medicine post mortems to visualising outer space and decision support systems, says Bo.

The meeting place C-site is a cooperation between Norrköpings Visualisation and Interaction Studio (NVIS), Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization (CMIV), Citilab – Norrköpings Visualisation Centre and Norrköpig Science Park with the Park hosting the meeting place.

- The multidisciplinary research centre (CMIV) combines medical and technical research in a clinical environment, says Bo Sundborg. They have a close cooperation with NVIS in areas such as development of tools for virtual port mortems. Both have a large number of national and international academic and commercial cooperating partners.

Norrköping Municipality and Linköping University together support Norrköpings Visualisation Centre which is under construction in the area of Norrköping known as the industrial landscape. This will be a centre open to the public and hosting presentations in an interactive environment. There will also be a large visualisation dome (a VR theatre), exhibition areas and laboratory opportunities as well as conference facilities and a café.

Part of C-site’s role is to develop a creative cooperation between academia, the business community, society and the culture sector. The intention is that visualisation shall derive benefit and support.

- It is important that C-site is regarded as a meeting place where business models can be developed and not as a place for pitching dreams, says Bo Sundborg. Over the last 10 years world class research has been conducted and now business ideas are popping up. Opportunities in those areas we have been promoting: health care, environment and climate, aviation, logistics, media, art and culture, and not least visualisation techniques for small and medium-sized companies have been fantastic, says Bo Sundborg enthusiastically.