The Service Research Center (CTF)

How can digital solutions truly benefit patients? And what sustainable reimbursement models are needed to implement them in healthcare? These were the main questions at the second partner meeting of the EU project DigiH4A – Digital Health for All, where Maria Åkesson, Linda Bergkvist and Erik Wästlund took part.

“It was a rewarding meeting with presentations, workshops and a study visit to a hospital in Hamburg,” says Maria Åkesson, Senior Lecturer in Business Administration. “It was particularly interesting to see how the hospital uses digital tools for documentation and decision support.”

Muhammad Murtaza Ali recently presented his licentiate thesis in business administration, where he identifies connections between the digitalisation of the music industry and educational initiatives for street children.
– Services shape human capabilities and well-being and it’s often the practical details that determine if a service actually is inclusive, says Muhammad.

What led you to focus on the connection between the music industry and educational initiatives for street children?

Robots guiding tourists, textile garment renovation, and the Ängsbacka course center in Molkom were among the highlights of Customer Innovation Day 2025.

The Swedish Innovation Index is based on responses from customers who rank companies and organizations based on their innovation capabilities and how attractive these innovations are perceived to be. Customers evaluate offerings, delivery, service, and interactions.

Why is customer-based innovation interesting? asked Per Kristensson, Director of the Service Research Center (CTF) at Karlstad University, to the audience.

An intense and eventful half-year is coming to an end – and there is much to be proud of. Recently, I had the privilege of leading the international conference, QUIS19 – The 19th International Research Symposium on Service Excellence in Management, in Rome. Over 275 participants from around the world gathered to be inspired and to discuss how research can help address the major societal challenges of our time – such as AI development and sustainability. It was a meeting marked by engagement, optimism for the future, and important conversations.

On 3–6 June, over 275 conference participants gathered in Rome to attend QUIS19 – The 19th International Research Symposium on Service Excellence in Management. This international conference, now considered the foremost in service research, has its roots in Karlstad – and began as an idea at the Service Research Center (CTF).

“QUIS was born at a time when services were gaining importance but still remained a relatively unexplored research field,” says Per Kristensson. CTF’s founder, Bo Edvardsson, together with American research colleagues, saw the need for an international platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange on issues related to service development, innovation, and value creation."

When the Volvo Research and Education Foundation (VREF) celebrated its 40th anniversary with a global conference on sustainable mobility, Lars E Olsson, professor of psychology at the Service Research Center (CTF), was invited as one of the speakers.

As a Nordic expert, Lars presented groundbreaking research on how hope can function as a driving force for behaviour change and increased well-being in people’s daily travel – a perspective that is attracting international interest.