SINTEF is an independent, non-commercial organisation. The SINTEF Group comprises the SINTEF Foundation, four limited companies and SINTEF Holding.

SINTEF employs 2100 staff who come from 67 different countries. They perform annually more than 7000 research projects for some 2000 clients. They have clients in about 60 different countries.

SINTEF also acts as an incubator for new industrial companies. 

SINTEF operates in partnership with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, and collaborates with the University of Oslo. NTNU personnel work on SINTEF projects, while many SINTEF staff teach at NTNU. The collaboration involves the extensive joint use of laboratories and equipment, and more than 500 people are employed by both NTNU and SINTEF. 

SINTEF maintain an international presence via their subsidiary companies and laboratories in the USA, Brazil and Denmark.