At KTH, knowledge is created every day. At KTH Innovation, we have the privilege of meeting those who want to do something extra: to ensure that knowledge also spread in society and benefits more people. We meet over 400 teams with new ideas every year, from different apps to hydrogen and quantum technology.
The second paragraph of the Higher Education Act stipulates that the knowledge and expertise generated must be put to good use. Our researchers have enormous potential to contribute to the transition to a more sustainable society. The results of their research can create new products and services that can reduce emissions, improve people’s health, or simply make people’s lives a little easier and more enjoyable.
However, those of us working in operational support know that they already have their hands full. They have to teach, apply for funding, publish, and manage their research. We also know there are rules around secondary employment, intellectual property and the teaching exemption, which can be perceived as complex. Therefore, we must make it easy for them to go the extra mile and explore how and where their research could benefit more people. We also need to be brave, and dare to support them in that endeavour even when it feels like we are breaking new ground.
As part of the work to create a more coherent support, we look forward to a more harmonised approach that creates the right conditions for transforming research into innovation across KTH. Contact us at innovation@kth.se to find out more!
Lisa Ericsson, Head of KTH Innovation