The Service Research Center (CTF)

How will AI transform and shape the society of the future? That question was at the center when researchers and industry leaders met at Industry Days 2025 at the Service Research Center (CTF) at Karlstad University.

On November 19–20, Karlstad University became a global hub for knowledge, strategy, and future visions as researchers and industry partners discussed tomorrow’s society during Industry Days 2025 – a two-day event focused on AI for a digital and sustainable future.

Black Friday tempts us with limited-time offers and massive discounts. But how do falling prices and ticking countdowns affect our behaviour? Per Kristensson, Professor of Psychology at Karlstad University, explains and shares his best advice for making more mindful choices.

Black Friday has become a global shopping phenomenon, stretching over an ever-longer period and marked by steep discounts – both in physical stores and online. Behind the sales lie psychological mechanisms that influence how we shop – and how we feel afterwards.

“Black Friday creates an expectation that you should shop,” says Per Kristensson. “The sense that others are out hunting for bargains can create pressure to follow suit and justify our purchases.”

He argues that the phenomenon today is as much driven by consumers as by retailers.

Siri Jakobsson Störe has been awarded the Swedish National Committee for Psychological Sciences’ prize for outstanding young researcher in psychology 2025. She receives the award for her research on insomnia and how sleep difficulties can be understood and treated.

– I’m very honoured, says Siri Jakobsson Störe, senior lecturer in psychology at Karlstad University. Being recognised in national competition, and in a context where universities nominate their most promising researchers, means a lot both personally and professionally. I’m also pleased to be representing Karlstad University in this forum for the first time.

Neshe Tuna is a PhD student in Information Systems at Karlstad University. Her research explores how co-creation and communities can drive innovation in complex environments where technology, policy, and culture intersect.

Hi Neshe, can you tell us about your research?

On November 6–7, the autumn meeting of the SQMA network – Swedish Quality Management Academy – was held at the Service Research Center (CTF) at Karlstad University.

Swedish Quality Management Academy was founded in 2012 to connect Sweden’s world-leading institutions in quality research. SQMA is a collaborative platform for professors and associate professors in the field of quality research, aiming to renew education, collaborate on research projects, and exchange experiences.

The network brings together quality researchers from Swedish universities and meets once per semester to discuss research and education.

Anders Fundin, professor and research director at SIQ, and Kajsa Nyman, CEO of SIQ, both participated in the autumn meeting.

In the western part of Karlstad’s city center, an extensive development initiative is underway to create a future sustainable and health-promoting urban environment. Two researchers from the Service Research Center (CTF) are leading the project.

The area, which has a strong cultural and historical character, will become a place for innovation, social values, and green urban development through the project Omställningslabb Karlstad, launching in 2025.

– The vision is an attractive mixed-use district with new housing, commerce, green spaces, culture, and meeting places, says Siri Jagstedt, Senior Lecturer in Business Administration at Karlstad Business School and researcher at CTF.