EXACT, Excellence in Advancing for a Circular Transition

News

• 2025-01-20

  Circular Bioeconomy is an Innovation Ecosystem

  At the BioEco Valley Summit, hosted by Karlstad University, Pro2BE, in collaboration with Paper Province, Region Värmland, and Sting BioEconomy, researchers and industry representatives gathered to discuss the future of the bioeconomy. The event focused on how stakeholders can jointly continue to drive the development of a circular bio-based economy and contribute to the green transition.

  – The circular bio-based economy needs to grow, and for that, we also need a workforce, said Magnus Lestelius, Professor of Graphic Technology at Karlstad University, who opened the conference. - By showcasing the diversity of careers within the forest industry, we can highlight the many opportunities available to students.

• 2024-12-03

  Cellulose conference gathers researchers from all over the world

  The conference Cellulose Workshop, an international workshop focused on cellulose research, has been organised for the eleventh time. The 11th Workshop on Cellulose, Regenerated Cellulose, and Cellulose Derivatives gathered participants from 10 countries to learn about the latest research findings in the field.

  – I had the pleasure of organising the 11th Cellulose Workshop at Karlstad University. It was a success thanks to our excellent keynote speakers, presenters, participants, sponsors and organisers, says Björn Sjöstrand, Docent in Chemical engineering. I would especially like to mention Professor Ulf Germgård, who initiated the workshop over 20 years ago. Since then, it has been held more or less every other year with Karlstad University and Umeå University as organisers.

• 2024-03-05

  Research for a cost-effective and environmentally friendly pulp and paper industry

  Aerobic treatment of industrial wastewater from the pulp and paper industry is the most expensive treatment step in the purification process. New research shows how the purification of wastewater from pulp manufacturing can be made more energy efficient by predicting the oxygen-transfer rate and thereby enabling a way to regulate the aeration.

  - Our published study is about analysing oxygenation of water in order to predict the oxygen-transfer rate depending on the concentration of surfactants in the water, says Kamal Rezk, Senior Lecturer in Environmental and Energy Systems. The study focuses on the surfactant lauric acid, which is a common substance in contaminated water from the pulp and paper industry.

• 2023-10-19

  Kick off for the new industrial graduate school EXACT

  The industrial graduate school EXACT is now up and running. EXACT aims to contribute to a sustainable manufacturing industry as well as future-proofing Swedish process-manufacturing industry through needs-based research.

  – It’s great that we are now up and running and we’ve had our kick off where all nine participating companies were signed up and several of the planned projects could be presented, says Karin Granström, Professor of Environmental and Energy Systems, as well as director of the graduate school. Karlstad University has a close and long-term cooperation with the private sector, and we all recognise the need for more research on renewable materials as well as improved control and data management in the processes.

• 2023-04-21

  Hello Bestoun!

  Bestoun S Ahmed Al-Beywanee was appointed Professor in Computer Science on 1st March. Congratulations, Bestoun!

  What is the focus of your research?

• 2023-01-24

  Research for sustainable, environmentally friendly papermaking

  Papermaking often requires additives to achieve desired properties, such as the strength of the paper. New research shows that this can be solved in an, as of yet, untested way.

  - Normally, you add Cationic starch to the pulp in order to increase the strength of the paper, says Mozhgan Hashemzehi, PhD student in Chemical Engineering. Usually, the starch is derived from  potatoes, corn and wheat, but in our studies we have added chemically modified pulp in order to avoid using sources that can be used for food production instead.