The Faculty of Health, Science and Technology

News

• 2026-08-25

  Innovators from Karlstad University receive awards

  It has now been decided which innovators will represent Värmland at the national SKAPA Award ceremony in Stockholm in November. Birgitta Persdotter, a researcher in social work and creator of Vaves®, has been named the winner of the 2026 SKAPA Award Värmland. Amal Nammouchi, a former doctoral student at Karlstad University and founder of Wattzo, has been awarded the 2026 SKAPA Talent Award Värmland.

  The SKAPA Award is Sweden’s largest innovation award and recognizes innovators who develop new solutions with the potential to create societal benefits, promote sustainable development and drive future growth.

  Vaves® is a research-based method and digital platform that strengthens social services’ ability to carry out systematic follow-up, analysis and knowledge development through collaboration between municipalities and academia. For Birgitta Persdotter, the award is an important recognition of her continued work:

• 2026-08-13

  Three New Research Projects on Sustainable Energy and the Circular Bioeconomy

  The NewDePT (New Development for Pellet Technology) research group at Karlstad University has secured funding for three new research projects. Supported by the Richert Foundation and Vinnova, the projects focus on long-term storage of biofuel pellets, resource recovery from sewage sludge, and the sustainable utilisation of forestry industry residues.

  Pellets for Enhanced Energy Security

  This project will investigate how pellets produced from alternative and blended biomass feedstocks can be manufactured and stored safely and efficiently. Led by Associate Professor Magnus Ståhl, the project will run from September 2026 to June 2028.

• 2026-08-12

  Doctoral Exchange with Japan: New Perspectives on Research and Culture

  Japan attracts doctoral students from around the world, both as a host country and as a hub for international exchange. For Dide Dijkers from Karlstad University and Alireza Niknam Khajepasha from Hiroshima University, academic mobility has meant exposure to new research environments and striking cultural contrasts.

  Dide Dijkers is currently undertaking a five-month exchange at Tohoku University in Sendai. Their research focuses on how people experience and cope with heat, comparing similar climate zones in Sweden and Japan.

  “The idea is to explore how language and culture influence the way people perceive and manage heat, despite the climates being quite similar,” says Dide.

  This is Dide’s first stay in Japan. Thanks to previous experience of living in other Asian countries, the cultural adjustment has been relatively smooth.

• 2026-06-25

  Robot Camp premieres at Karlstad University

  Karlstad University is launching a new Robot Camp for children this summer – an initiative that quickly became fully booked. Over two weeks, participants get to explore the possibilities of technology by building and programming their own robots in a creative and collaborative environment.

  The Robot Camp combines technology, programming, collaboration, and problem-solving and is part of Teknikerjakten (The Technology Hunt). In small groups, the children build robots using LEGO and program them to complete different tasks. The format is inspired by the international technology and science competition FIRST LEGO League.

• 2026-06-24

  Karlstad University in EU project on solar-based plastic recycling

  Karlstad University is participating in the new EU-funded project SPECTRA, coordinated by Ergang Wang at Chalmers University of Technology. SPECTRA aims to develop new technologies in which solar energy is used to convert plastic waste into valuable resources.

  Within the project, Karlstad University will develop computational and AI-assisted tools to accelerate the discovery and optimisation of materials and processes. Moyses Araujo, Professor of Physics, is leading Karlstad University’s part of the project.

• 2026-06-17

  Bioeconomy and innovation

  On 16–17 June, researchers, companies and clusters gathered for the BioEco Valley Summit 2026. This year’s theme, lignin, fibres and optimised circular processes, highlighted how the bioeconomy can contribute to the green transition.

  The conference was opened by County Governor George Andrén, who emphasised the strong position of Värmland within the forest-based bioeconomy and underlined the importance of collaboration between academia, industry and the public sector in addressing challenges such as climate change.