Newsmakers at KTH

Research leaders of the future

Helena Lundberg , assistant professor and docent in organic chemistry and Tiziana Fuoco , researcher in polymer technology, have been awarded SEK 15 million each as part of the Research Leaders of the Future programme, run by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research. Helena Lundberg has been awarded funds for the project Sustainable Conversion of Biomass to Functional Compounds, and Tiziana Fuoco for Polymeric Materials with Environment-Specific Degradation. The goal of the programme is to give newly established researchers with the highest scientific and pedagogical competence the opportunity to develop as research leaders. The grant is paid out over a five-year period.

KTH ranked highly for start-up companies

KTH is ranked fifth in Europe when it comes to the number of start-up companies in the tech industry – known as ‘unicorns’ – started by former students. A unicorn business is a technology company valued at over USD 1 billion. According to Sifted, the organisation behind the ranking, 78 such companies were founded in Europe last year. Nine of these were started by alumni from KTH.

Powerful professor in energy

Lina Bertling Tjernberg , Professor in Power Grid Technology, is listed among the top 20 most powerful persons in the field of energy in Sweden. Bertling Tjernberg, ranked 14th, is described as a leader of people and opinion when it comes to explaining the energy transition, and why nuclear power has a part to play also moving forward. The list was prepared by Swedish business daily Dagens Industri in association with the Energimarknaden newsletter.

Student won royal competition

Elis Nyström, a student at KTH, has won a competition to design an emblem to symbolise the Swedish royal jubilee in 2023. 2023 is the 50th jubilee of Karl XVI Gustav’s accession to the throne in 1973. The jubilee also coincides with the 500th anniversary of Gustav Vasa’s election as king in 1523. The emblem will be used for a range of activities and celebrations across Sweden during the year.

Real estate economist leads climate council

Cecilia Hermansson , docent and researcher in Real Estate Economics, has been appointed Chair of Sweden’s Climate Policy Council. Hermansson was previously the Council’s Vice-Chair since January 2021. The Climate Policy Council is an independent, interdisciplinary expert body tasked with evaluating how well the Government’s overall policy is aligned with the climate goals.

Nature’s pathways to the past

Sverker Sörlin , Professor of Environment History, is one of three co-editors of a new book on hiking trails. The book, Pathways: Exploring the Routes of a Movement Heritage, based on Swedish research, looks at how paths and hiking trails are not only ways to experience nature, but can also be used as pathways to culture and history.

 Text: Christer Gummeson