Bridging Academia and Industry- KTH Doctoral Students at LiFT

In the field of food sciences, the Graduate School LiFT (Future Technologies for Food Production) serves as a hub for innovation and collaboration. Established in 1997, LiFT has grown into a national education and research network aimed to boost the Swedish food industry by furthering highly skilled PhDs’ scientific competence. With a consortium comprising of KTH, SLU, Chalmers, LTH, RISE, and OrU, LiFT is driving Sweden's food sector towards increased sustainability and global competitiveness.

Loris Mazzaferro is a doctoral student at the Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering (SEED) at KTH. Mazzaferro is one of three KTH doctoral students that are currently a part of LiFT Graduate School. His PhD project focuses on the improvement of the resource-efficiency and environmental performances of urban vertical farms through circular-based production methods. He is looking at different ways through which vertical farms can utilize urban residual flows, transitioning from a linear system to a circular one.

Through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Mazzaferro aims to analyze the implications of this circular transition, mainly from an environmental perspective. His hope is that the project will provide new insights on the potential benefits of symbiotic production systems and allow urban-vertical farming firms, policy makers and other stakeholders to make well-informed decisions on how to manage circular transitions.

Mazzaferro thinks that LiFT has several benefits to his doctoral studies. Its interdisciplinary research focus can provide a more comprehensive understanding of various aspects related to food production. LiFT also provides networking opportunities with researchers and professionals in the field.

To apply to LiFT graduate school, download and fill in the form found on the LiFT admission website . Application and questions should be directed to KTH’s Rebecka Milestad .