When a major national crisis hits, the demand for reliable, actionable knowledge skyrockets overnight. On November 17, 2025, the University of Oslo (UiO) and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) gathered for a joint seminar to address exactly this challenge: our national kunnskapsberedskap, or knowledge preparedness. The Centre for Pandemics and One-Health Research (P1H) played a central facilitating role in this entire process and officially co-hosted the November workshop.
This gathering, which followed up on a leadership meeting held earlier in February, focused on how we can best complement each other when the next public health emergency strikes. The core premise of our collaboration is clear: while FHI continuously produces, summarizes, and communicates knowledge during both ordinary times and crises, UiO stands ready as a vital resource to scale up this knowledge production during major national emergencies. Because UiO possesses heavy academic competence across a broad spectrum of disciplines, we can contribute to the development of the crucial new knowledge that a crisis demands. However, we cannot wait until the alarms sound to figure out how to work together.
The Importance of "Peacetime" Preparation
A recurring theme in the discussions among researchers and leaders from both institutions was the absolute necessity of establishing collaborative structures and networks before a crisis occurs. We need concrete plans for how our cooperation will actually function under pressure. Trying to navigate bureaucracy, funding, and data-sharing protocols in the middle of a pandemic or biological threat costs valuable time.
To ensure we are ready, the joint seminar identified several critical priorities we must tackle now, during "peacetime":
- Mapping our shared capabilities: We must conduct a systematic mapping of existing competence, resources, and research environments across both FHI and UiO.
- Formalizing agreements early: We need to formalize and further develop collaboration agreements and networks to facilitate rapid mobilization of resources when a crisis hits. This includes having pre-negotiated agreements ready for critical bottlenecks, such as data access and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance.
- Building data infrastructure: It is essential to establish routines and infrastructure that allow for rapid access to, and sharing of, relevant data, including real-time data and large datasets.
- Clarifying lines of command: Through emergency plans and exercises, we must clarify roles, responsibilities, and command lines to ensure effective crisis management and avoid ambiguity during acute events.
Beyond Pandemics: An Interdisciplinary Approach
While much of our recent experience is rooted in the COVID-19 pandemic, feedback from the seminar participants provided a vital reminder: true knowledge preparedness must embrace a broader scope. Future crises may not just be viral; they could stem from antimicrobial resistance (AMR), climate change, or even bioterrorism.
Addressing these complex scenarios requires more than just medical and epidemiological expertise. UiO's unique strength lies in our ability to mobilize a vast array of fields—from basic research and modeling to ethics, health economics, and the history of crisis management. Interdisciplinary collaboration and continuous competence development are simply crucial for effective crisis management.
The Way Forward
The workshop in November was a highly positive and important first step in bringing our institutions closer together. Going forward, the theme of knowledge preparedness will be actively followed up in annual collaboration meetings with FHI's leadership, as well as through concrete dialogues regarding collaboration agreements at both the institutional and faculty levels. As these initiatives advance, P1H will continue to play a coordinating and facilitating role in the process moving forward. By investing in our shared knowledge preparedness today, we ensure that Norway is equipped with the science, data, and interdisciplinary insight needed to navigate the crises of tomorrow.
The work to strengthen Norway's knowledge preparedness is central to UiO's social mission, and P1H plays a key role in this. The centre helps to build good structures for cooperation between UiO and FHI so that we can contribute with interdisciplinary knowledge when the next crisis hits. This is a good example of how preparations in ‘peacetime’ make us even stronger when it really matters, says UiO's Vice-Rector for Life Sciences and Health, Jens Petter Berg.