At a meeting in mid-January, the minister gave a brief programme statement on how he sees the future of education and research in Sweden. Swedish universities uphold high standards when it comes to research and its results, but a sharper focus on excellence is necessary if we are to remain at the forefront.

KTH works methodically in different ways to stay in the game and keep its position in the global competition, a prime example being our RAE (Research Assessment Exercise) that was completed a year ago. The results are very useful in continuing to develop our research, in terms of both the scrutiny of our research by external experts and ourselves, and recommendations on how we can take it to the next level.

The many strategic initiatives taken by KTH itself and jointly with other universities and research financiers guarantee continued excellence in our research. This goes for everything from the Science for Life Laboratory and Digital Futures, to KTH’s involvement in urban development and sustainable production, to name but a few areas.

Collaboration across national borders and disciplines is something we have consciously focused on for a long time, as the major societal challenges we are facing call for a wide range of expertise, perspectives and interdisciplinary research collaboration. One good example is our EU strategy: by taking part in Framework Programme 9 for Research and Innovation, Horizon Europe, we can influence the focus and future development of research. Our involvement in various international networks, such as our EUI alliance Unite!, also presents greater opportunities to deepen our international collaboration.

And of course, innovation fits KTH Innovation like a glove, whereby applied research that brings real benefits is a cornerstone for KTH. We have many examples where successful research has been translated into innovative business ideas, and we have a well-equipped support system for fostering innovations from students and researchers alike.

Once the government and the minister have concretised and more closely defined their key words, KTH looks forward to being an active discussion partner for future university policy, and indeed on the next research bill scheduled for presentation in autumn 2024.

This was really brought home to me on a visit to the national research resource SciLifeLab, run jointly by KTH, the Karolinska Institute, and Stockholm and Uppsala Universities.

This laboratory for the life sciences comprises several vital components: advanced expertise, far-reaching data collection, and a specific research infrastructure to produce large volumes of data in molecular biosciences, with the aim of identifying and developing methods in fields such as medicine, health, the climate and environment, forestry and agriculture.

As a visitor, it’s hard not to be impressed by all the collective knowledge housed in SciLifeLab and its advanced technical equipment. It has everything from large, unique, sophisticated microscopes to commercial equipment, a portable test lab for Covid that can be used in countries where medical equipment is scarce, and much more

It is quite magic to see this collection of equipment and the huge databases that are needed to build knowledge and analyses that can form the basis of the future of medicine, for example. SciLifeLab is also attracting international attention along with applications from many successful researchers.

As new questions arise and new challenges need solutions, the need for even more advanced equipment and technological progress increases. In happy symbiosis, the research and technological solutions strengthen and develop one another. So technological progress is fundamental to advanced research, but is also its own field of research, one that paves the way for new knowledge in the life sciences.

SciLifeLab came about as the result of a concerted effort around a strategic research area, and it has since been awarded additional funding and major external grants, particularly via the Wallenberg Foundations. KTH has been an important partner throughout – and will remain so as SciLifeLab expands in Solna, and through several national nodes within the framework of the national infrastructure for life sciences.

While the global situation may feel gloomy with war, climate crisis, energy crisis and economic outlook, a browse through KTH’s research brings hope – and also a conviction that the solutions, or parts of the solutions, to the major societal challenges of our age can be found here, whether thanks to new materials, new ways of producing and generating energy, or developing existing technical systems.

It is also pleasing to see that our students have access to, and indeed do access, our experimental environments and study a range of phenomena. I think that anyone in proximity to KTH cannot miss the concentration and thirst for discovery that exist here.

The learning environments, where students can put their theoretical knowledge into practice and test them in laboratory conditions, are something we will always protect. And that too is breathtaking.

Just two days into my first whole week as president, I have already built up a good idea of the sheer scope of KTH’s research in this field. This is thanks partly to a day of networking and dialogue organised by the Energy Platform on the theme of future competence for a sustainable energy system. And also to the launch of a new collaboration between KTH, Novatron och EIT InnoEnergy and a joining of forces to try to make fusion a large-scale energy source for the future. Fusion technology could revolutionise energy supply.

One of our six strategic research platforms focuses specifically on Energy, the aim being to bring together knowledge and multidisciplinary collaborations under one roof. The others are Digitalisation, Industrial Transformation, Life Science, Materials and Transport.

Energy research at KTH encompasses all stages, in production and distribution, and also user behaviour. In other words, it spans the development of everything from the heavy-duty technology to digitalised solutions for energy consumers. Each of these stages involves a great many players, and the need for the latest knowledge in the field is yet another area where KTH can help out, with education in the form of lifelong learning as new energy solutions also impose demands on further education.

In the transition to a more sustainable society, the development of new, safe energy sources is of critical importance.