19 Jan 2023
Magnus Svensson has been the director of the WISE Research Arenas (WIRA) since the establishment of WISE in 2022.
Magnus is an experienced program and project manager with a long history of working with strategic planning and execution to achieve long-term goals in the research and development business.
What is WIRA?
The WISE Industrial Research Arenas (WIRA) seek to identify physical places outside academia, where universities and industry can jointly explore materials science for sustainability. For example, WIRA may address issues regarding how to recover waste from certain industrial process, or how to replace a toxic substance or material in a given product, etc. The main goal is to help to connect fundamental science with the needs of industry and society regarding sustainability. In particular, WIRA prioritize developing projects that directly benefit Sweden’s competitiveness.
How will WIRA be formed?
It is a long process. During 2023, there will be a lot of dialogs with different industries to identify problems and challenges affecting these industries that can have a potentially large impact on society. WISE fellows and researchers will participate as well in these discussions to ensure that goals and boundaries are defined jointly, arising from mutual interest. It is important to stress that WIRA should not be understood as commissioned research. One requirement is that each WIRA should have at least 3 non-academic partners. By the end of 2023 it is expected that at least one WIRA is proposed to the WISE Board and activities will gradually increase 2024 and onwards.
What type of companies/industries will be targeted?
We strive for a balance between large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises to be able to drive new ideas faster and increase the competitiveness of Sweden on materials science.
How does WIRA contribute to accomplishing the goals of WISE?
WISE’s main goal is to use material science to reach a sustainable future. WIRA will establish environments in which industrial and societal problems and challenges related to sustainable materials and technologies can be addressed by researchers from universities and industry together. In this way, need-driven research, for example new green technologies to store energy, has the possibility to reach society much faster.
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.
3 Feb 2025
The WISE Networking Day, a dynamic event bridging academia and industry in the field of material science for sustainability, has just concluded with a buzz of excitement and energy.
31 Jan 2025
Scania, a global leader in transport solutions, has teamed up with KTH, one of the partner universities of the research program WISE, to drive innovation and excellence.
27 Jan 2025
WISE is eagerly preparing for the inaugural WISE Networking Day, set to take place in Norrköping on January 28. Among the prominent speakers is Lars Jerpdal, Technical Manager at Scania Group and Project Manager of WIRA-SuPRA.
24 Jan 2025
We are happy to introduce Lena Killander, one of our great speakers, to present at WISE Networking Day, January 28, 2025
23 Jan 2025
-Sustainability is at the core of Graphmatech’s mission. By incorporating graphene into polymers, we significantly improve how these materials behave. We make them better, says Cecilia Århammar, Reaserch Area Manager at Graphmatech.
17 Jan 2025
Published in Nature Energy, Prof. Gao’s and researcher Rui Zhang’s study identifies the key factors controlling morphology, a long-standing challenge to improve efficiency. These findings also provide a roadmap for designing organic solar cells that meet the requirements of large-scale production using green solvents.
16 Jan 2025
We are happy to introduce Magnus Fredriksson, one of our great speakers, to present at WISE Networking Day, January 28, 2025.
7 Jan 2025
We are happy to introduce Susanne Norgren, one of our great speakers, to present at WISE Networking Day, January 28, 2025.
12 Dec 2024
-The WISE Research School plays a crucial role in helping doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers contribute to the green transition through materials research, says Prof. Larsson from LTU.
11 Dec 2024
The UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 promotes sustainable consumption and production. “Our developed OECT-based biosensor is designed to monitor the freshness of meat and fish contributing to pave the way for smarter, more reliable food quality checks”, says Yunfan Lin, WISE PhD student at KTH.
5 Dec 2024
The recent calls for WASP-WISE collaboration projects have generated an impressive response, with 22 applications for the pilot projects and 30 for the NEST projects.
3 Dec 2024
-While XPS is straightforward to use for metals, it poses profound challenges for insulators, which can lead to inaccurate spectra interpretation. The exponential growth in XPS publications has also increased the risk of dissemination of potentially erroneous results. This is a serious concern because scientific progress depends on reliable and reproducible data, say Profs. Greczynski and Hultman from Linköping University.
2 Dec 2024
As 2024 draws to a close, WISE reflects on an incredible year of groundbreaking initiatives and collaboration.
28 Nov 2024
-What makes my job at WISE very rewarding is the fact that we work as a team and we support each other, says Erna Delczeg, WISE Research Coordinator.
28 Nov 2024
The fourth seminar in the series: Machine Learning meets Materials Science is coming up on December 5th. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain fresh perspectives, learn foundational AI concepts, and connect with leading minds in materials science and machine learning.
27 Nov 2024
The latest call for WISE industrial PhD student and postdoc projects is now closed. The call attracted a total of 37 applications, reflecting a wide range of expertise, thematic focus, and a broad spectrum of companies and universities.
25 Nov 2024
Join us for the third annual WISE Dialogue, an event designed to inspire, connect, and empower the vibrant WISE community.