Seven universities in the largest ever investment in materials science

Luleå In the initiative where LTU in Luleå and six other universities participate, a total of nearly EUR 260 million will be invested over ten years. It is expected to have great importance for basic research and Swedish manufacturing industry.

It is Wallenberg's WISE initiative that is now taking off. Decisions have been made to build up research infrastructures for a total of EUR 44 million.

At Luleå University of Technology, two high-tech labs in materials science will be strengthened.

“We value immensely this investment of SEK 52 million from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation to two of our materials research labs. It enables us to be at the forefront of a very important field and to conduct advanced research on materials in close collaboration with the green transition industry,” says Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn, Vice-Chancellor at Luleå University of Technology.

At Luleå University of Technology, materials research is conducted in sustainable mining and metal production, circular use of raw materials, biocomposites and fossil-free energy production. In the labs, researchers collaborate with the companies LKAB, SSAB, Boliden, Talga, Vattenfall, H2 Green Steel and Northvolt.

Other participating universities include Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Linköping University, Uppsala University, Stockholm University and Lund University.

Together with industry and society, the initiative will promote and accelerate the transition to a sustainable society. It will also advance the scientific frontier in materials science to establish Sweden as a leading nation in the field.

WISE, the Wallenberg Initiative Materials Science for Sustainability, which is funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, has a total budget for the WISE programme of nearly EUR 260 million during 2022-2033.

Lennart Håkansson

editor@northswedenbusiness.com