Rapid height growth may positively influence fiber length in Swedish spruce wood. A case study investigated wood samples from 38-year-old of Norway spruces (Picea abies) at one of Sweden’s most naturally fertile forests.
– Long fibers produce strong paper and cardboard products due to an increased number of bonds, says Björn Sjöstrand, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Karlstad University.
The autumn meeting of the EXACT industrial graduate school offered two days filled with discussions and workshops. This time, the theme was AI — its possibilities, but also its ethical aspects.
– It’s always a pleasure when the industrial graduate school can bring together PhD students, supervisors, and company mentors to discuss project progress, says Jörgen Samuelsson, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Director of the graduate school.
The hedgehog is one of our most beloved garden visitors, but the species is under threat. A new red list for 2025 is underway, and preliminary findings suggest that the hedgehog may be moved from its current status of “Near Threatened” (NT) to “Vulnerable” (V).
Over the course of several weeks, two researchers from Bangalore, India, have visited the university as part of an ongoing collaboration funded by STINT, the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education.
This is a long-term collaboration, says Sergej Moroz, Associate Professor of Physics. This time, it’s a PhD student, Ankush Chaubey, and his advisor, Subhro Bhattacharjee, who are here for a couple of weeks.
A new research project has been launched to improve production efficiency and reduce resource consumption within the forestry industry.
– Sustainability is a central focus of the project, which aims to decrease energy and resource usage in the forestry sector, says Björn Sjöstrand, Associate Professor in Chemical Engineering.
International mobility enables valuable collaboration for researchers from Karlstad University and UMONS, the University of Mons in Belgium. The collaboration promotes research in materials science through exchange of knowledge on methods for studying material properties at the nanoscale.
– My visit here at Karlstad University has been enriching in many ways, says Philippe Leclere from UMONS.
Two projects led by researchers at Karlstad University have through MIRAI been granted seed funding, which will provide our researchers with opportunities for international collaboration and increased mobility.
MIRAI, with support from STINT, announced funding to support research collaborations between the member universities in Japan and Sweden. The aim is to develop new and existing collaborations through innovative projects.
Raviv Gal does research that he hopes will contribute to healthier watercourses and increased biodiversity. Fewer blackflies, higher biodiversity, and slower decomposition – these are some of the unexpected effects that freshwater pearl mussels have on their surroundings in the stream. Raviv Gal recently defended his PhD in biology at Karlstad University.
The freshwater pearl mussel is one of Sweden's longest-living animals – some individuals can live up to 280 years.
The 6G-PATH (6G-Pilots and Trials Through Europe) project at Karlstad University has entered a new phase where the technology is being tested in practice.
A new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that commercial satellite image archives should be opened to enhance research on the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Over two days, the industrial graduate school Exact held its spring meeting, focusing on collaboration and development opportunities as well as career planning for doctoral students.
– It has been two days filled with fascinating presentations from our doctoral students and many fruitful discussions about the graduate school’s collaboration and development opportunities, says Jörgen Samuelsson, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Graduate School.
Organic solar cells have great potential in renewable energy, however their long-term stability and operational lifespan are challenges.
Organic Solar Cells (OSCs) are at the forefront of next-generation renewable energy technologies, due to their lightweight, flexibility, transparency, and potential for low-cost production.
Gisela Priebe, professor of psychology and director of the The Centre for Research on the Mental Health and Life Circumstances of Children and Youth (CBU), is one of the speakers at "Barnrättsdagarna" (the Children's Rights Days) held from 31 March to 2 April in Karlstad. This year's theme, "The Child as a Rights Holder and the Best Interests of the Child," is a constantly relevant topic for Gisela and CBU's research.
Hello Gisela!
Mission 0 House, a collaboration between industry and academia with the goal of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing processes, has secured its first long-term research funding. Several leading companies, together with the Knowledge Foundation (KK-stiftelsen), have jointly guaranteed nearly 100 million SEK for the next five years.
Mission 0 House, led by Polestar and Lindholmen Science Park, started as a pilot project in 2024.
In collaboration with eleven partners from six countries, Karlstad University is participating in a new EU project that was recently granted funding as part of the programme Circular Bio-based Europe.
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 sounding rocket SubOrbital Express-4 which was launched from the Esrange Space Center outside Kiruna contained an experiment module from Karlstad University. The module is about studying how the active layer of organic solar cells forms in microgravity.
– In this project, we were able to conduct experiments in an unmanned rocket, says Jan van Stam, professor of physical chemistry at Karlstad University.
Collaboration with regional and municipal actors are crucial for triggering social innovation – says sustainability scientist Avit Bhowmik. He was awarded with two research grants from Vinnova and Swedish Energy Agency for collaboratively driving sustainability transformation in Värmland.
Research has to break boundaries and engage in collboration with regional and local actors to make societal impacts, particularly for navigating sustainability transformation.
