His unique X-ray technique is revolutionising health care
KTH Innovation Award 2024 goes to Professor Mats Danielsson
Mats Danielsson, who has developed groundbreaking medical technology enabling early detection of tumors and faster treatment of inflammatory diseases, has been awarded the KTH Innovation Award 2024.
"A strong belief in humanity is fundamental to success, both in research and business," Danielsson says.
Mats Danielsson
, a professor of medical imaging physics at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, receives the
KTH Innovation Award
when it is presented for the fourth time.
"I am driven by seeing how things are connected. In primary school, I liked all subjects, mostly history and Swedish, but I made a conscious career choice when I started studying technical physics at KTH. Basic research and physics felt urgent from the start," Danielsson says.
At age 25, Danielsson commuted to CERN in Switzerland to work on a five-year project. He later spent two years in Berkeley, California, working on a postdoctoral position in medical X-ray technology. Since then, he has been active in Sweden, co-authoring more than 100 patents and 140 scientific papers. Several of his ideas have led to the formation of successful companies.
"It's fun to take an idea from sketches on a blackboard to a clinical prototype. And it's exciting when doctors want to use the technology," Danielsson says.
As co-founder of Sectra Mamea AB and Prismatic Sensors, Danielsson has played an active role in bringing his research to market. "I believe in an innovation process where the researcher is involved all the way. I think a company has a greater chance to succeed that way. Many difficult problems arise along the way, especially with the technology, but you benefit from involving employees who were there from the beginning," he says.
Valuable advisors
Danielsson says he has relied on a few key advisers along the way, many of them doctors who used the medical technology. "Doctors can be trusted. Their vision is always based on, 'This isn't good enough; it must be improved,'" he says.
Danielsson is an optimist and visionary in core, and says he finds today’s politics often driven by too much negativity.
"People today are better off in many ways than ever before. The fact that so many are still unhappy may have to do with not believing in themselves or others around them. We need to help each other if we're going to make the world a little better, even if only in small ways," he says.
Recharging
Danielsson says he swims frequently in the summer in order to stay energized, and cycles to work. “It’s environmentally friendly and a good way to generate new ideas. To avoid the stress trap, I ask myself, ‘What’s the rush?' I don't play computer games or anything like that because it would take time away from other important things. Like doing nothing at all, for example. I think a total mobile phone ban in primary schools would be great!"
Successful leadership
Danielsson believes that leadership is about creating a sense of camaraderie. "When I hire people, I tell them that the goal is to do good for humanity. It’s important to build a team atmosphere so that even when the task is difficult, people can still have fun. A strong belief in development and in humanity is fundamental to success," he says.
Danielsson adds that team cohesion is key. "All team members should stay sharp and energized by a 'we-against-the-world' feeling. My strength is hiring people smarter than me – geniuses in their fields, whether it's physics, software, mechanics, or AI. It's also important that everyone wants to do well. The worse things go, the more reason to celebrate and recognize the small successes," he says.
He views competition as a powerful motivator. "I don't like fluff. In research, it's important to have a hypothesis that you're working to verify. I respect anyone who dares to try, even if they don't always succeed," he says.
Katarina Ahlfort
Photo: Patrik Lundmark