This year, the Service Research Center (CTF) at Karlstad University celebrates its 40th anniversary. The milestone will be marked throughout the year, including during the Customer Innovation Day and at a jubilee event in October.
CTF was founded in the mid-1980s. At that time, the service sector was growing rapidly, while knowledge about how service organisations are managed, developed and create value was limited. A group of researchers at Karlstad University therefore took the initiative to build a research environment focused on services, in close collaboration with businesses and regional partners. Professor Bo Edvardsson was one of those who laid the foundations for the centre.
From small beginnings to an internationally established research centre
Since then, CTF has grown from a small research group into an internationally established research environment with a large network of researchers, doctoral students and partners.
The focus of the research has also evolved over time. Early studies mainly explored what a service is and how service quality can be understood. Today, the focus is on how value is created through services, for example in connection with digitalisation, the sustainability transition and changing needs among customers, patients and citizens.
Collaboration and accessible research
According to CTF Director Per Kristensson, this knowledge is important in a rapidly changing society.
“When society changes, organisations need to understand how they can create value together with customers, patients and citizens. Service research can contribute important knowledge in this area,” he says.
As CTF celebrates its 40th anniversary, the jubilee is therefore not only about looking back, but also about continuing to develop knowledge that can contribute to innovation, competitiveness and sustainable societal solutions in the future.
“The strength of CTF lies in the combination of strong research and close collaboration with organisations outside academia,” says Per Kristensson. “Through partnerships with companies, public organisations and other actors, we can both develop and share new knowledge and contribute to solutions to societal challenges, for example in digital transformation, sustainable development and the development of future services.”
