From Biobanks for health to Biobank Norway

Norwegian biobanks comprise a unique resource for researchers who want to investigate pathways to the development of common and complex diseases and improve prevention and treatment. Extensive efforts have been made in Norway during the last decade to facilitate the optimised used of human biological resources stored in the country’s numerous biobanks. This paper describes the steps undertaken in the “Biobanks for Health” (BioHealth) project and the newly launched national biobank infrastructure “Biobank Norway” to lay the ground for the implementation of an infrastructure, tools and expertise that facilitate the maximised use of Norwegian biobanks and increase the ability of Norwegian researchers to participate in international research.