Margareta Norell Bergendahl

Margareta Norell Bergendah (MNB)l, PhD, is senior professor (from dec 2018 emeritus) in Integrated Product Development, IPD, in the School of Industrial Engineering and Management. She received the first chair in this topic 1997 after a shorter professorship in Norway. Her research area has been strongly related to work procedures for efficient and innovative co-operation and leadership in industrial product development and innovation processes with an interdisciplinary viewpoint. The research in IPD is still performed in close collaboration with industrial companies and other developing organizations, and has been characterized by parallel interest of products, technology processes, and organization of work. 

Since 1997 MNB has been main advisor and examiner for more than 20 doctors and licentiates of engineering. A major in IPD on master level was also developed and first launched 1997 with the specified ambition to develop skilled engineers in both practical industrial product development tasks and organization and management of complex large industrial projects. This has been further developed and around 500 masters have after 20 years been examined as masters in IPD.   

During the years 1999 – 2007, and 2010– 2016 MNB has had part time positions as prorector and vice president at KTH with different assignments in the management of the university, the last to develop strategic partnership with important KTH external organisations.

During the years MNB has initiated several larger programs, some of which mentioned here:

·       PIEp The national Product Innovation Engineering program, PIEp in 2006 - 2015, funded by VINNOVA and others. PIEp conducts research for increased innovation capability in both research and education environment as well as at companies

·       CTMH (2001 - 2016), Center for Technology in Medicine and Health as a cooperation between the Karolinska Institute and KTH and the Stockholm County Council

·       The Future Faculty program at KTH, heading for increased attractiveness for research careers and a better balance between women and men in the future scientific environment.

·       Openlab, an interdisciplinary environment where students and teachers from four Stockholm universities in collaboration with official stakeholders perform courses and research dealing with societal challenges.

·       Digital Demo Stockholm, a program focusing on supporting and solving societal challenges utilizing the opportunities created by digital transformation. Digital Demo Stockholm is a unique collaboration including the city and county, academia and national industry.

·       KLOSS, a national academic collaboration on development of strategic partnership between academia and external organizations

·       Global Development Hub, an education and development initiative with the purpose to increase innovation capacity through challenge driven courses where students from KTH and African universities managed by trained advisors work for sustainable solutions related to the UN goals (www.kth.se/globaldevelopmenthub). 

The short professional background for MNB includes industrial experience, project management, different management positions, teaching, research and university management – and a strong national and international collaboration network. She has had a number of assignments of trustas principal investigator, board member, advisory groups for governmental, commercial and funding bodies. MNB received the IVA (Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences) Golden Medal 2006 for extraordinary achievements in product development research and university leadership.

Academic Memberships
- Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences IVA (earlier division chair and vice preses)
- International Design Society, (earlier Advisory board and Board of Management)
- Swedish Project Academy