KTH takes a holistic approach to AI

Anders Söderholm

, 2026-11-11

It has been said many times: AI is changing everything! It is changing the way we conduct research, teach and run our operations, and this change is happening faster than most of us thought just a year ago. New technology requires clear guidelines. KTH is therefore introducing principles for the use of AI, while also establishing an Advisory Committee to strengthen our work in this area.

For a technical university, AI represents a fundamental transformation. We are helping to lead the way in this area through our research and by educating the engineers who drive AI development in industry. At the same time, we are facing pressure for change in virtually all areas.

KTH has long been building a strong foundation in AI research, covering areas such as machine learning, robotics and autonomous systems. Since 2015, we have been one of the partner universities in WASP (Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program), Sweden’s largest research programme in this field. KTH also coordinates the Ellis Unit Sweden and is involved in major programmes such as Digital Futures, SeRC (Swedish e-Science Research Centre), DDLS (Data-Driven Life Science) and Cybercampus Sweden, all of which feature AI as a central and significant component.

We have also brought together research in the form of a strategic AI initiative with three focal areas: the fundamentals of AI; AI for scientific discovery; and AI for technology and society. Research that truly makes a difference often occurs at the intersection of AI and other fields, such as materials science, energy, the life sciences, transportation and urban planning. Therefore, we need to bring together the full breadth of AI, ranging from basic research to industrial applications.

Without computing power, there can be no competitive AI research. KTH’s computing capacity is a flagship resource within the national NAISS (National Academic Infrastructure for Supercomputers in Sweden) infrastructure and is used by researchers throughout the country. The PDC (Parallel Computing Centre), now part of the KCSC (KTH Center for Scientific Computing), is a key NAISS partner. Computing capacity is now as important a part of the research infrastructure as laboratories and advanced instruments, and these types of resources require the expert support provided by the KCSC.

AI is already integrated into our programmes, ranging from civil engineering and computer science to electrical engineering and machine learning master’s programmes. However, it is essential that all of our engineers, architects and teachers understand AI, both as a tool and as a force for social change. That is why we are now reviewing our entire educational portfolio and scrutinising the content to ensure that we are building the right competencies with our students. This is taking place at both the course and programme levels.

Guidelines and recommendations regarding the use of AI in teaching have been in place for some time. We have now established principles for the use of AI across KTH as a whole, and these will be published shortly. These principles are based on taking responsibility for our use of AI, complying with the law, acting ethically in line with KTH’s core values, and creating conditions that allow for agility, rapid development and impact. People must always be kept informed, and the use of AI must be transparent.

At the same time, AI touches nearly everything we do today, from research and education to infrastructure, administration and collaboration. This is why we are establishing a special AI Advisory Committee. The purpose is to compile issues, provide a holistic perspective and lay the groundwork for decisions, ensuring that our initiatives reinforce one another rather than moving in different directions. We need to act swiftly, as the reality is changing rapidly, and the work group will enhance our ability to do so.

There are, of course, plenty of issues on the agenda, but we are well equipped. We have the capability and knowledge to handle the AI revolution both responsibly and strategically!

Europe is also built on campus

Anders Söderholm

, 2026-10-28

In mid-October, over 300 participants from nine European universities gathered in Stockholm for this year’s Unite! dialogue, hosted by KTH.

The University Alliances is a flagship initiative launched by French President Emmanuel Macron at Sorbonne University in Paris in 2017. The original idea was to bring together universities across Europe, transcending national, linguistic and cultural boundaries, in order to foster a sense of European identity and cohesion. Later, the ambition to foster European competitiveness and innovation in response to a new geopolitical landscape was added to this vision.

KTH’s European university alliance, Unite!, consists of nine universities spanning several countries, primarily focusing on engineering and the natural sciences. Within Unite!, mobility and development are fostered through extensive student and faculty exchanges, seed funding, and joint projects. The alliance is also founded on a shared set of values and emphasises the importance of European solutions to our various national challenges.

We are far from achieving Macron’s vision of a united Europe. Similarly, we have a long way to go in terms of raising the visibility and accessibility of Unite!’s activities on campus. The alliance needs to facilitate collaboration and increase its value and the visibility of what can be achieved together. This is why this year’s Unite! conference focused on transitioning from projects to more established structures, growing and maturing from an alliance of extraordinary activities to working together in a more organic and integrated way on a continuous and daily basis.

Ultimately, university alliances are an expression of a shared European desire to strengthen the bonds between our countries, bridge our differences and help free our continent from conflict and the risk of war. That is worth fighting for.

Global challenges call for global university partnerships

Anders Söderholm

, 2026-10-01

This week, I have had the opportunity to visit South Africa and Tanzania to strengthen our ties with some of our African partner universities, and to announce some news ahead of KTH’s anniversary year in 2027.

The Global Development Hub (GDH) is a KTH initiative established ten years ago to develop approaches to tackling various global challenges through challenge-based education and innovation. This innovative approach has also become a fundamental model for our collaboration with a select number of African universities. By partnering with like-minded universities, the GDH can make a real difference.

Our original GDH partners are Strathmore University in Kenya, the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, the University of Rwanda in Rwanda, and Botho University in Botswana. This week, KTH visited the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) to gain a better understanding of our ongoing collaborations and discuss future developments. Over the years, there has been increased student and researcher mobility between UDSM and KTH, meaning that we now have a deep understanding of one another and trust each other, which makes it easier for us to collaborate on new development projects.

KTH has previously been involved in ‘sandwich’ programmes aimed at building capacity in postgraduate education at UDSM. These programmes have helped to foster a close relationship between the two institutions. Students from both universities have participated in courses and workshops, and the I-Grid project, which aims to secure the energy supply to end users in Tanzania, has been underway for some time now. The I-Grid project combines researcher exchanges with a challenge-driven approach to problem-solving and technological development.

In South Africa, KTH has visited several universities to strengthen its presence in the country and deepen its links with academic institutions. Both South Africa and several countries in East Africa are experiencing rapid economic development, whilst simultaneously facing major societal challenges that need to be addressed. Universities and university collaborations play an important role in the wider societal transformation taking place. Many issues are also similar to those we face in the Nordic region, such as access to clean water and energy.

The Times Higher Education (THE) World Academic Summit is also being held in Cape Town this week, hosted by the University of Cape Town in collaboration with the University of Bristol. This annual conference brings together university leaders from around the world to discuss important issues.

This year, much of the agenda focused on the new geopolitical world order and how universities around the world are responding to its implications. Topics of discussion included the emergence of AI, the associated threats and opportunities, and academic freedom and institutional autonomy in an increasingly fragmented and polarised political environment, where universities can no longer take trust and confidence for granted as the basis for their engagement with society. Clearly, universities across the globe face many similar challenges, even if the consequences for individual institutions differ.

On the final day of the conference, the host for next year’s THE World Academic Summit was announced: KTH. Hosting this major global conference will be one of several events marking KTH’s 200^th anniversary, and I am looking forward to welcoming colleagues from all over the world to Stockholm in October 2027.

Strengthening total defence through knowledge and research

Anders Söderholm

, 2026-09-03

As is well known, building up total defence is a task in which all sectors of society are involved. In recent years, this work has intensified, with significant resources also being allocated to it. Universities, too, must adapt to the new societal challenges arising from the increased need for resilience, as well as the development of civil and military capabilities in order to cope with a more turbulent world.

Some time ago, the KTH Centre for total defence was established with the aim of increasing our visibility and capacity in matters relating to total defence. The Centre was also set up to gather and disseminate knowledge regarding relevant research and education. KTH is also responsible for Cybercampus Sweden, a national initiative that promotes research, education and innovation in the field of cyber security.

The Svenskt Krut centre was inaugurated this week at KTH, in collaboration with the FMV (Swedish Defence Materiel Administration), the FOI (Swedish Defence Research Agency), and Swedish industry. The centre’s aim is to secure the national supply chain for the raw materials used in the production of nitrocellulose-based ammunition. The basic research required, which has a range of other applications, is well suited to a university environment given KTH’s expertise and research excellence built up over many years.

There are further examples of areas in which universities must take a more proactive approach to total defence needs today. They must also define what is and isn’t appropriate for them to work on. This is also important for the education sector, where the need for skills development and provision is becoming increasingly apparent as a result of the current international situation and geopolitical tensions.

Swedish research plays a long-term role in strengthening Sweden’s total defence and self-sufficiency. Svensk Krut is another piece of the jigsaw in this regard, where we, as a university, bring together the societal challenges we face with the successful research and education environments available at KTH.

AI races ahead while campus estate management stalls

Anders Söderholm

, 2026-06-24

Surely everyone has noticed that an AI revolution is currently underway. This technological shift will bring about major changes, even if we currently find it difficult to grasp the full extent of what is happening.

This is often the case with major technological shifts. When the steam engine, electricity or the telephone first appeared, it was also hard to predict the societal changes that would follow.

AI, on the other hand, is not new. Research has been ongoing for decades, but it is only in recent years that its applications have had a widespread impact. Today, we recognise that research methods will also undergo fundamental change. With the help of AI, increasingly complex research problems can be formulated and solved more quickly than ever before. Large volumes of data can be processed rapidly, and scientific breakthroughs that would otherwise have taken years can now be achieved much more quickly thanks to access to advanced computing power.

AI is already transforming research methods, as well as the conditions for business and the public sector. Complex problems can be analysed more quickly, large volumes of data can be handled more efficiently, and new products and services are emerging at a rapid pace.

Universities have a special role to play in this development. On the one hand, the new knowledge on which AI is based is generated through successful research. On the other hand, AI is transforming the content of education and research itself. We must remain at the forefront of knowledge development while also finding time to study and address the ethical, environmental, and social consequences of this technological shift.

Universities suddenly find themselves at the centre of a technological arms race in a geopolitically turbulent world where science, diplomacy and international conflicts are intertwined in ways that politics, academia and the business sector are not accustomed to dealing with. This therefore requires rigorous yet agile and adaptable analysis, along with clear priorities, so that Sweden and Europe can take responsibility, foster independence, and reduce vulnerability.

If I had written about this topic a year ago, or were to write about it a year from now, the text would be completely different, simply because developments are moving so rapidly. This is in stark contrast to another topic I often write about: akademiska hus and the provision of university premises. In that area, developments are so slow that every piece of writing on the subject seems just as relevant year after year. Imagine if it were the other way around 🙂

Developments hardly ever take a summer break, but I hope that many of you will have the chance to do so. Summer greetings from Almedalen!

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KTH takes a holistic approach to AI

Europe is also built on campus

Global challenges call for global university partnerships

Strengthening total defence through knowledge and research

AI races ahead while campus estate management stalls