The Service Research Center (CTF)
We develop new knowledge on value creation through service.
News
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2025-12-17
Experts: How to reduce food waste and climate impact at Christmas
Christmas is a time for togetherness, traditions and generous meals – but also for increasing amounts of food waste. At the same time, a national debate is under way in Sweden about stricter targets to halve food waste. Researchers at Karlstad University therefore encourage people to think sustainably ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays. Small changes in everyday habits can reduce both climate impact and household costs.
“If you want to avoid feeling guilty about throwing food away – because a lot is wasted during the major holidays of the year – it is wise to think before you shop,” says Fredrik Wikström, professor of Environmental and Energy Systems. “If you go to the supermarket without a shopping list, tired and stressed, it is easy to buy more than you will consume. Retailers want to sell, and they are experts at getting us to buy a little more than we intended – often through bulk packs and special offers, which in the long run becomes more expensive if we end up not eating all the food.”
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2025-12-17
Merry Christmas!
Christmas and New Year are approaching, and soon many of us will have the chance to catch our breath. When I look back at our 39th year, what I feel most of all is gratitude. Gratitude for all the knowledge developed within our team, for the collaborations with those of you who are close to CTF – and for the curiosity and willingness to contribute that so clearly permeate our work.
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2025-11-27
New collaboration project aims to make sustainable travel more sttractive
How can sustainable travel become the natural choice in everyday life? Researchers at Karlstad University will explore this question in a new project.
The project applies service design and behavioural science to understand why public transport for commuting to Karlstad is underused and what factors could encourage more sustainable travel.
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2025-11-24
Industry Days 2025 – A Clear Mark of Karlstad University’s Growing Role in the Development of Digital and Sustainable Services
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.
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2025-11-24
How to prepare for Black Friday – expert tips for smarter shopping
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.
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2025-11-13
Siri Jakobsson Störe receives national research award for groundbreaking sleep research
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.