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Alumni

Hear from our alumni

Over 100 researchers have taken part in the KTH Innovation Discovery program since the start in 2022. Here is what some of them think of their experience. 

Portrait of Niloofar Minbashi

Niloofar Minbashi

I definitely recommend this program to other researchers (whether they have an idea or not). Mainly PhD students in the middle of their PhD, but it's suitable for anyone with any research position at KTH.

The content was concise and covered most of what you need to know about innovation. I also valued the opportunity to meet and discuss with a KTH business coach. It made me reflect and see my idea from different perspectives.

I did not have a concrete idea in the beginning, but I was curious. I learned a lot from the workshops and was encouraged to work on my initial idea. It was really good to go out of the ordinary research life and meet people from different fields at KTH. The KTH Innovation team is very engaged and the atmosphere they created in the workshops was really welcoming and inclusive.

It was inspiring, informative, and creative!

- Niloofar Minbashi , Postdoctoral Researcher at the KTH Department of Transport Planning

Portrait of Ingrid Campo Ruiz

Ingrid Campo Ruiz

The Discovery Program has been an excellent experience for me. Eva Halén and Fredrik Jansson from KTH Innovation bring their remarkable experience and enthusiasm to cleverly combine guidance with hands-on exercises to apply academic knowledge to the entrepreneurship world. In my opinion, the KTH Innovation Discovery Program creates a unique learning environment, where I have had the opportunity to meet and discuss with other researchers and innovators from different fields.

I strongly recommend the Discovery Program to other fellow researchers and innovators at KTH, if you are curious and would like to apply your research to benefit society and the environment.

Exciting, empowering, and inspiring!

- Ingrid Campo Ruiz , European Commission Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Individual Fellow, KTH Department of Architecture.

Katia Gallo

Katia Gallo

No matter which stage in your career and how far in the path from research to innovation you might be, the Discovery program provides a fantastic opportunity to help you make a difference and maximize the impact of your research at KTH.

The KTH Innovation coaches do a great job in putting together a rich program and set of participants, creating the ideal atmosphere for interacting and learning from each other. The workshops are absolutely the best part: highly stimulating, creative and inspiring, leaving you at the end of the day with a lot of new energy, ideas and precious contacts and insights for the future.

- Katia Gallo, Professor of Applied Physics at KTH. Participated in the Discovery Program during the spring semester 2022.

Portrait of Charlotte Stadler

Charlotte Stadler

Joining the Discovery program meant I got dedicated time to familiarize myself with the topic of innovation and what opportunities I have as a researcher at KTH. Above all, it was good to get to know the people at KTH Innovation and to feel like "here is a person I can bounce ideas with and who is there to help".

I recommend the program to anyone who is curious about how we as researchers can create more impact, regardless of whether you have an idea or not. It should almost be part of general education!

- Charlotte Stadler , Head of the National Spatial Proteomics Facility and Platform Director Spatial Biology at Scilifelab. Participated in the Discovery Program during the spring semester 2023.

Portrait of Kajornsak Kittimathaveenan

Kajornsak Kittimathaveenan

I joined the program because I was curious about what the term "innovation" actually means. What I liked the most was the second session, when we practiced the KISS method, which stands for "Keep It Short and Simple," but I changed it slightly myself to "Keep It Short and Stupid."

I tried applying this methodology at the conference Acoustics 2023 in Sydney, and it actually worked! I received second place in the Best Student Presentation competition.

Why don’t you join the program, and see what happens? Perhaps you will end up seeing yourself as an entrepreneur; if not, at least you will get to enjoy a nice, lunch with a lot of amazing people. Sounds ridiculous, right? But this is how the wonderful thing begins.

- Kajornsak Kittimathaveenan , PhD student at the KTH Division of Speech, Music and Hearing. Participated in the KTH Innovation Discovery Program in the fall of 2023. 

Portrait of Erica Zeglio

Erica Zeglio

"I would recommend this program to anyone at KTH because it can really increase the impact of a project! I enjoyed learning how to translate what we do into innovation and something that can be useful to society."

-Erica Zeglio, researcher at the Division of Nanobiotechnology. Participated in the Discovery Program during the spring semester 2023.

Porträtt av Joshva Kumpati

Joshva Kumpati

It doesn’t matter if you have an idea or not, just come listen. If an idea sparks one day, you will already have the background to assess if it can be converted into something awesome. At the end of the day, I believe all our research should be related to the impact it could make in society. I definitely recommend this program.

- Joshva Kumpati , PhD Candidate at the Unit of Structures. Participated in the Discovery Program during the spring semester 2023.

Portrait of Vijaya Vegunta

Vijaya Vegunta

It was very motivating to hear from experts who shared their experiences. I have seen some of my colleagues develop their innovations and they are always very passionate when they talk about it! I definitely want to continue working on my own idea after the program and now I know where to begin!

- Vijaya Vegunta, completed her doctoral studies at the KTH Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology in March 2023. Participated in the Discovery Program during the spring semester of 2023.

Ioanna Sapouna - Discovery Program 2022

Ioanna Sapouna participated in the Discovery Program during the spring semester 2022, when she was a PhD student at the Division of Glycoscience at KTH.

What did you think about the Discovery Program? What was good?

I was introduced to the innovation process during the interactive meetings through fruitful and fun discussions. Before I joined the program I thought innovation should be left to people with great marketing skills and entrepreneurship, but anyone could contribute new ideas to the market if only they meet the right people! The KTH Innovation Discovery Program did for me just that.

What has happened since the end of the program? Did you continue working on an idea?

I did not continue with my idea due to the heavy workload in my Ph.D. studies. However, I got a lot of help from my assigned business coach on how to continue working with it when the time is right.

How did the program impact your motivation for your Ph.D./research?

There was a direct impact through the workshops, for example on how to communicate your research to different audiences. In addition, the program had an indirect positive impact, as I became more motivated to understand the different roles in the innovation process.

Would you recommend the program to other researchers at KTH?

Absolutely! This program was a great experience. I did learn a lot and made new contacts!