The Institute of Hydro-engineering (IBW PAN) in Gdansk was established in 1953 as a research institution of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The Institute has always been one of the finest Polish civil engineering institutions and it has been classified in the highest of five categories in national ranking that also covers university departments and industrial research institutions. For nearly 60 years, the Institute took part in several important projects related to Polish water resources management and participated in the number of international projects (eg. VALIDATION, BASYS, PACE, INDIA, SURVAS, MAXWAVE, HUMOR, ALARM, LIMAS, MANTRA-EAST, ASTIR, FLOODsite, ENCORA, CONSCIENCE, THESEUS, AC FIELD, JERICO, LAGOONS), being in close cooperation with foreign institutions. The research activities of the Institute cover basic and applied problems related to inland and maritime hydro-engineering, wave mechanics, costal engineering, geotechnics and geomechanics, as well as other disciplines connected with environmental engineering and earth-related sciences, including oceanology, hydrology, water resources management and geology. The scientific activities of IBW PAN are based on the applied mechanics and mathematics, both analytical and numerical. The classical methods of hydromechanics, hydraulics and geomechanics for standard investigations were adapted and some new original methods were developed. With its sophisticated, modern equipped experimental research facilities (Hydraulic Laboratory with 64 m long Wave Flume, Coastal Research Station at Lubiatowo, Soil Mechanics Laboratory, Ground Water Flow Laboratory), IBW PAN supplements theoretical studies with extensive experience in research on hydrodynamics, morphodynamics and geomechanics in cold climate. Over the years, several researchers and the technical staff of the Institute took part in the research expeditions to the Arctic and the Antarctic.
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim with 2700 teaching staff and 20000 students is Norway’s premier academic institution for technology and natural sciences, and educates 80% of Norway’s MSc and nearly 100% of the PhDs in engineering. NTNU has had a strong activity within Arctic marine and geotechnical engineering since the last three decades. This commitment resulted in the establishment of the Centre for Research-based Innovation SAMCot hosted by the Department of Civil and Transport Engineering. SAMCoT (Sustainable Arctic Marine and Coastal Technology) was established by the Research Council of Norway to meet the needs related to the increase in activities in waters such as the Eurasian Arctic, East Greenland and Chukchi Sea. With its close contact to the industry and other research institutions, both nationally and internationally, the university constitutes a strong platform for research and innovation.
IBW PAN as the Project Promoter is responsible for administrative coordination and overall management. The coordinator (IBW) organizes financial issues, reporting and information flow with the annual reporting and management reports, as is defined in the Contract. The Project Promoter will provide annual reports of the project presenting the financial and content-related advancement of the project, within 60 days after the end of each calendar year and will provide a final report within 60 days after the project is completed. The NTNU consults the coordinator in decision making for financial and legal aspects. The Principal Investigator is responsible for controlling the technical direction and academic quality of the project, and ensures that the project is carried out in compliance with the terms, conditions of the call as well as those specified in Regulation on the implementation of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2009-2014. To be sure that the tasks proposed will be executed, the web communication and skype conversations will be accomplished on the daily basis. Also the Annual Partner Meetings will be organized. IBW together with the NTNU will organize, chair and prepare the meetings reports. The meetings will be thematic/technical, i.e., they will focus on work progress consultations, know-how and experience exchange etc. It will also include monitoring the agreement and decisions ensuring that these decisions will be fully implemented.