"The role of geology in sustainable social development is an important common focus", says May Britt Myhr, Director of NGU.
NGU and the British Geological Survey (BGS) shared experiences and explored common interests during a two-day seminar.
Eight participants from the UK visited Trondheim to discuss possible collaboration in marine geology, geophysics, critical minerals, geohazards, mapping, digitization, new technology, and organizational frameworks.
"We discuss similarities, differences, and challenges and how to address them. We are simply looking to get smarter together," says Myhr.
Learning from NGU's marine mapping
Since 2005, NGU has participated in Mareano, a national interdisciplinary program that maps the seabed in Norwegian waters. BGS seeks to learn from this work.
"One of the reasons we are talking is to learn how NGU manages marine work. We would like to strengthen our efforts in this area," says Karen Hanghøj, director at BGS.
Critical Raw Materials
NGU and BGS work on behalf of national authorities to map national geological resources, with critical materials being an essential focus in Norway and the United Kingdom.
"In resource matters, one is often nationally oriented: What do we need in this country? We must understand that many times, the solutions to what we need nationally must be found internationally. It is not a sustainable solution to think it only concerns Norway or the UK. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel," says Hanghøj.
Sustainability is Overarching
NGU and BGS have agreed to hold follow-up meetings and sustain collaboration across multiple thematic areas.
"Sustainability has been an important overarching theme in all our discussions and is a crucial prerequisite for prioritizing projects and activities in the future," concludes Hanghøj and Myhr in agreement.
