Visual Intelligence evaluated by international experts: "The centre operates at an excellent level"

After four years of operation, an international AI expert panel was appointed to assess Visual Intelligence's progress and results. The evaluation was characterized by its excellent remarks on the centre's scientific quality and innovation output.

By Petter Bjørklund, Communications Advisor at SFI Visual Intelligence

"I am very pleased by our researchers' efforts in establishing and maintaining Visual Intelligence's scientific rigor."

This is what Gudmundur Jøkulsson, the Visual Intelligence chair, says about the recently concluded midway evaluation. The evaluation was conducted by the Research Council of Norway (RCN) and involved a thorough assessment by an international panel of AI experts.

The purpose is to review the progress and results of Norwegian centres for research-based innovation (SFIs). The RCN uses the evaluation to determine the centres’ eligibility for continued financial support.

Highly impressed panel

In the evaluation report, the panel states that they are thoroughly impressed with the Visual Intelligence's scientific quality and innovation output. The report is based on the centre's key performance indicators, as well as a 4-hour interview session between the expert panel and the centre's directors, user partners, principal investigators, and a group of Visual Intelligence PhD Fellows. Some of the conclusive remarks include the following:

• "The centre collaborates closely with various users who have already benefited from advancements driven by its activities."
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• "The research conducted [at the centre] is of an impressive caliber, with a consistent track record of publications in top venues."
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• "The centre's collaborative efforts demonstrate a level of synergy that individual institutions could not have achieved independently."
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• "The centre has the synergistic capability to apply outcomes from one domain to another."
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• "Visual Intelligence has a strong international network, including collaborations with The Alan Turing Institute, the Pioneer Centre for AI in Denmark, and the Berlin Center for Machine Learning."
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• "Structured joint meetings at various levels, combined with large and small events, ensure effective communication and coordination."

Jøkulsson says the panel's remarks are a significant testament of Visual Intelligence's efforts in developing novel and innovative deep learning methodologies – spanning the disciplines of medicine and health, marine science, energy, and earth observation.

"Our innovations address pressing societal challenges in these fields. The panel's conclusive remarks solidify Visual Intelligence's position as a leading provider of cutting-edge solutions for complex image analysis," says Jøkulsson.

A significant milestone for Visual Intelligence

Visual Intelligence director Robert Jenssen is thrilled by the panel's positive comments on the centre's first four-year run.

He views the evaluation as a significant milestone for the centre, and is excited to continue the second half of Visual Intelligence’s journey in developing novel deep learning solutions for complex image analysis.

"The results of the evaluation indicate that we are well-positioned to achieve the objectives outlined in our initial centre proposal. On behalf of the Visual Intelligence management, I wish to extend a big thank you to our research partners, user partners, PhD Fellows, and collaborators, who made this evaluation a great success!" Jenssen says.

About Visual Intelligence

Visual Intelligence is a Centre for research-based innovation. The centre shall be the lead provider of cutting-edge solutions for complex image analysis by leveraging deep learning to answer innovation needs shared across a consortium of corporate and public user partners from different business areas.

The Visual Intelligence consortium consists of the following research partners and user partners:

UiT The Arctic University of Norway, the University of Oslo, Norwegian Computing Center.

Aker BP, Cancer Registry of Norway, Equinor, GE Vingmed Ultrasound, Institute of Marine Research, Kongsberg Satellite Services, Northern Norway Regional Health Authority ICT, University Hospital of North Norway.

Visual Intelligence is funded by the Research Council of Norway, project number 309439, and consortium partners.