19 Aug 2025
“To achieve climate neutrality by 2050, research and innovations in energy, transport, manufacturing industry, and sustainable practices globally are crucial”, says Professor Ange Nzihou from IMT Mines Albi, France.
This year’s WISE Welcome Meeting is packed with exciting highlights. It will take place at Louis De Geer Konsert & Kongress in Norrköping on 20–21 August. We are delighted to welcome Ange Nzihou, Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at the RAPSODEE Research Center–CNRS, University of Toulouse, IMT Mines Albi, France. Professor Nzihou, a Fulbright Alumnus and non-resident Fellow at Princeton University (USA), will be one of the featured speakers at the meeting. He also holds guest professorships at Zhejiang University (China), the University of Pretoria (South Africa), and Mahatma Gandhi University (India), where he is Chair Professor of Sustainable Energy Materials.
His research expertise spans sustainable carbon-based functional materials, hydrogen and syngas from bioresources, thermochemical processes, and strategies for decarbonization.
We had the chance to sit down with him ahead of the event to discuss some key questions.
My current and main research fields are on the thermal conversion (pyrolysis, gasification, reforming or graphitization) of biomass and waste to biochar, graphitic materials and graphene; hydrogen and syngas ; engineering functionality-driven carbon materials for energy storage, catalysis, depollution and decarbonization.
I’m planning to address engineering of biocarbon allotropes, namely graphitic-like composites, carbon nanotubes and carbon aerogels using catalytic graphitization of raw biocarbons from various biomass. The applications of biocarbons for CO2 storage and batteries will be developed.
To achieve climate neutrality by 2050, research and innovations in energy, transport, manufacturing industry, and sustainable practices globally are crucial. Materials with their ability to accommodate various needs and functionalities play a key role in this transition. Recycling, circular-economy practices, and strategic sourcing are among the challenges to focus on in years to come.
16 Aug 2025
On Wednesday, 20 August, Prof. Hjörvarsson will give a talk at the WISE Welcome Meeting at Louis De Geer Konsert & Kongress in Norrköping.
– I’ll give you a teaser: the title of my talk is “Bullerbyn 2.0 / El Dorado,” says Hjörvarsson with a big smile.
12 Aug 2025
The call for KAW Proof of Concept Grants in Materials Science for Sustainability will open soon.
11 Aug 2025
The Wallenberg Initiative Material Science for Sustainability (WISE) is proud to launch its second major faculty recruitment drive, opening up new opportunities to lead cutting-edge research in sustainable materials science.
Picture by Luleå University of Technology.
7 Aug 2025
An international team of scientists from France, Germany, and Sweden has taken a closer look at how magnetism can change incredibly fast—a phenomenon called ultrafast demagnetization.
For the first time, they were able to observe some of the key steps in this process as it happens in a magnetic material. Their work, published in Nature Communications, could help pave the way for faster and more energy-efficient spintronic devices used for storing and processing information.
7 Aug 2025
Get ready—one of the most anticipated events of the year is just around the corner! The WISE Welcome Meeting 2025 is fast approaching, and you won’t want to miss it!
17 Jun 2025
MAX IV is awarded 200 million SEK from Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and WISE to construct and establish a 3D imaging X-ray technology aimed at studying and developing advanced materials for the transition to a sustainable society.
16 Jun 2025
The Wallenberg Initiative Material Science for Sustainability (WISE) is excited to announce the launch of its second major faculty recruitment call.
Picture by Luleå University of technology.
9 Jun 2025
Do not miss out as the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation soon is set to open applications for its 2025 Proof of Concept Grants in Materials Science for Sustainability. The call opens on September 1 and closes on October 15, 2025, at 13:00.
26 May 2025
The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, in partnership with the WISE research program, has selected nine promising innovation projects to receive Proof-of-Concept (PoC) grants. ,
22 May 2025
Making steel the traditional way pushes a lot of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere—about 8% of all global energy-related emissions, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). But there’s a greener way forward.
Picture taken by Smoltek Hydrogen.
19 May 2025
A notable ensemble of WISE expertise—including Vladislav Borisov (WISE-affiliated researcher, Uppsala University), Prof. Mikhail I. Katsnelson (Radboud University, WISE Guest Professor), Prof. Konstantin Novoselov (National University of Singapore, member of WISE’s International Scientific Advisory Board), Prof. Olle Eriksson (Uppsala University, WISE co-director), and collaborators—uncovered a novel form of magnetic order in 2D materials.
16 May 2025
Chalmers University of Technology has officially inaugurated a new high-end research infrastructure to support Sweden’s transition to sustainable materials, as part of the national WISE initiative.
13 May 2025
The hazardous materials within e-waste can pose severe environmental and health risks if not managed properly. To pave the way for a sustainable future, we need to embrace cutting-edge technologies and innovative approaches.
Picture taken by Mycronic.
9 May 2025
Lennart Bergström, WISE-affiliated Professor of Materials Chemistry at Stockholm University, has been awarded the 2025 Staudinger-Durrer Prize by ETH Zurich.
7 May 2025
Luleå University of Technology has unveiled one of Northern Europe’s most advanced laboratories, dedicated to the sustainable materials of the future.
Picture taken by Luleå University of Technology.
6 May 2025
The fifth seminar in the series: Machine Learning meets Materials Science is coming up on May 8th. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain fresh perspectives, learn foundational AI concepts, and connect with leading minds in materials science and machine learning.
29 Apr 2025
Five large collaborative research projects joining AI and material science have been approved funding. Together, the projects receive 100 MSEK.
12 Apr 2025
“Even after undergoing multiple cycles of degradation and recycling, the recovered devices work just as well and last as long as new ones. This approach is also great for the environment and saves money — it uses 96.6% fewer resources and reduces cancer-related health risks by 68.8%”, says Prof. Feng Gao from Linköping University.
28 Mar 2025
Join us for a WIRA-SuPRA event, Polymer R&D in Sweden.
21 Mar 2025
In a recent Nature Sustainability article, WISE-affiliated researcher and optoelectronics professor at Linköping University, Feng Gao, along with PhD student Muyi Zhang and collaborators, explored the challenges of commercializing next-generation light-emitting diodes (LEDs) known as perovskite LEDs.
14 Mar 2025
Feng Gao, WISE-affiliated professor in optoelectronics at Linköping University, is awarded the prize in physics.
Picture taken by Thor Balkhed, Linköping University.
14 Mar 2025
A successful WISE Dialogue 2025 just wrapped up, bringing together approximately 300 participants from diverse sectors, including leading industry professionals, academic experts, WISE PhD students and Postdocs, as well as representatives from the public sector.
11 Mar 2025
During their three-day trip through northern Sweden, participants explored LTU’s high-tech labs, engaged with leading researchers, and visited top industrial companies. Talga, SSAB, LKAB, Stegra, and SWERIM showcased how materials research drives sustainable solutions across industries.
10 Mar 2025
The topic of my speech will be “Commercialization of research for sustainability – the KTH Innovation approach”, says Lisa Ericsson, from KTH Innovation.
7 Mar 2025
-We need to build more with less resources. Use less raw materials, use new alternative materials, optimize structures, structures that maintains its properties and resistance over hundreds of years.
6 Mar 2025
The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW) has announced the opening of a Proof of Concept call for Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Quantum Technologies. The initiative aims to bridge the […]
5 Mar 2025
At the WISE Dialogue, I will present our cement technology Phlego—a low-carbon, white cement designed for seamless integration into existing manufacturing processes, says Tiziana Vanorio, Associate Professor at the school of Sustainability, Stanford University.
3 Mar 2025
-Advanced materials are vital for reducing emissions, promoting circularity, and replacing harmful materials.
25 Feb 2025
-Both new materials that can help us save resources and the science about how we use materials will play a significant role facing our global challenges.
10 Feb 2025
Check out our photo montage from the WISE Networking Day, which just concluded, leaving a trail of energy and excitement.
