As BigInsight is approaching its final year, it was time to celebrate ourselves and our achievements. The invitational BigInsight Celebration Day took place in the beautiful Georg Sverdrups hus at the University of Oslo, on November 17, 2023. We learned from some of our successes, discussed how we have merged innovation and science, looked to the future and mingled with the BigInsight family.

Camilla Stoltenberg, the former head of FHI (the Norwegian Institute of Public Health) praised BigInsight’s substantial efforts with the modelling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway. Please see the video from Camilla Stoltenberg below.

Gunnar Rø (FHI) followed up with a talk on experiences from modelling the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway.

Idris Eckley, distinguished professor at Lancaster University and the chair of BigInsight’s Scientific Advisory Committee, also praised BigInsight’s work: «There have been fantastic contributions in terms of fundamental research, making an impact on important industrial challenges, and helping society, especially given the prominent role the people within the BigInsights team played during the pandemic.»

The two research partners NR and UiO were represented by their respective leaders, André Teigland (CEO) and Svein Stølen (Rector), who agreed were much on the importance of centers like these.

The strong connection between research and innovation was further demonstrated by four panels talks where an important BigInsight paper was presented, and the related innovation was discussed broadly. The talks and panels included Kjersti Aas (NR), Cathrine Pihl Lyngstad (NAV), Erlend Willand-Evensen (Gjensidige), Karl Aksel Festø (DNB), Morten Stakkeland (ABB), Erik Vanem (DNV), Martin Tveten (NR), Ingrid Glad (UiO), Alvaro Köhn-Luque (UiO) and Vessela N. Kristensen (UiO), Håvard Kvamme (Abelee). The four papers were:

• «Explaining individual predictions when features are dependent: More accurate approximations to Shapley values». Artificial Intelligence (2021)

• «Predicting mortgage default using convolutional neural networks». Expert Systems with Applications (2018)

• «Scalable changepoint and anomaly detection in cross-correlated data with an application to condition monitoring». Annals of Applied Statistics (2022)

• «Toward Personalized Computer Simulation of Breast Cancer Treatment: A Multiscale Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Model Informed by Multitype Patient». Cancer Research (2019)

Arnoldo Frigessi, who has been an instrumental director of BigInsight until recently (he is now director of Integreat – Norwegian Centre for Knowledge-driven Machine Learning), received many kind words and gratitude for his efforts as director of BigInsight.

Finally, Anders Løland (director of BigInsight) finished off by reminding ourselves that some work remains to be done in the centre in 2024, and that BigInsight’s legacy will live far beyond 2024.