STIFTELSEN NORSK INSTITUTT FOR KULTURMINNEFORSKNING (NIKU), Norway

 

PALOMA GUZMAN

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NIKU is an independent institute within the wider field of Cultural Heritage in Norway and beyond. NIKU is one of five Norwegian research institutes affiliated with the Ministry of Climate and Environment, and the only one focusing on cultural heritage. NIKU’s research addresses issues and problems related to the whole thematic scope of the institute.

 

Activities range from larger research programmes to smaller, focused projects. Many of NIKU’s projects are conducted in cooperation with other research institutions, both in Norway and abroad.

 

NIKU’s research addresses issues and problems related to the whole thematic scope of the institute.

E.g.: Archaeological investigations.

• History, conservation and adaptation of historic buildings Conservation.

• Cultural heritage and climate change.

• Cultural heritage and urban development.

• Historic landscapes and environments.

• Polar Regions and Indigenous people.

• Technology intensive methods and tools for the support of research and management.

• Heritage management as a means of pursuing wider goals for society.

 

NIKU consists of 6 departments focusing on: archaeology, buildings, conservation, digital archaeology, high north and heritage and Society. NIKU’s professional staff consists of conservators, archaeologists, architects, engineers, geographers, ethnologists, social scientists, art historians, researchers and advisors with special competencies in cultural heritage management and preservation.

 

NIKU is based in Oslo and has regional offices in Bergen, Trondheim, Tønsberg and Tromsø. The staff counts approximately 80 people. NIKU has extensive expertise in the field of cultural heritage and perform large and small projects on behalf of private and public actors. The institute actively applies scientific knowledge to solve practical challenges related to the monitoring of climate impacts on heritage conservation and strengthening the capacities of the heritage sector to enhance its strategic collaboration with wider development sectors. We share this knowledge in consultancy services in Norway and expand it through collaborative scientific research with international and local partners. NIKU is also part of the Climate Heritage Network, a voluntary, mutual support network of governmental agencies, NGOs, universities, businesses and other organizations committed to aiding their communities in tackling climate change and achieving the ambitions of the Paris Agreement.