EXACT, Excellence in Advancing for a Circular Transition

News

• 2026-09-21

  From Old Clothes to New Fibres

  Every year, millions of tonnes of cotton are produced worldwide, while vast quantities of textiles are discarded or incinerated. Although cotton consists of almost pure cellulose, only a small proportion of the material is recycled into new textiles.

  In her mid-term study, Elise Meurs, an industrially associated PhD candidate in the EXACT Research School, investigates how cellulose pulp derived from recycled cotton behaves during the initial stages of the viscose process, the industrial method used to produce regenerated cellulose fibres. The aim is to enable the large-scale use of textile waste and thereby reduce the need for virgin raw materials from forests or cotton cultivation.

• 2026-09-08

  Collaboration in Focus as the Knowledge Foundation Visits Karlstad University

  On 7 September, representatives from the Knowledge Foundation (KK-stiftelsen) visited Karlstad University to gain deeper insight into how the university collaborates with industry in research and education. During the visit, several projects were presented in which the university and companies work together to develop new knowledge and strengthen Sweden’s competitiveness.

  Throughout the day, the representatives from the Knowledge Foundation met researchers and academic staff from the Pro2Be research environment and the Department of Computer Science. The aim was to gain a better understanding of how the university works with research, education and skills development in partnership with companies and organisations.

• 2026-08-31

  Smart heat pumps could reduce household energy use

  What if your heat pump knew when you were about to take a shower or use large amounts of hot water? It could then produce hot water at the right time instead of heating unnecessarily. This idea lies at the heart of the research conducted by industrial PhD student Manal Rahal at Thermia, where machine learning is being used to make heat pumps smarter and more energy efficient.

  Today, many heat pumps are controlled using fixed rules and pre-set threshold values. The problem is that they do not take into account the fact that household hot water consumption varies over time. A family that showers early in the morning has different needs from a household where most people shower late in the evening. When a heat pump fails to understand these patterns, it can result either in unnecessary energy consumption or an insufficient supply of hot water when it is needed most.

• 2026-06-17

  Bioeconomy and innovation

  On 16–17 June, researchers, companies and clusters gathered for the BioEco Valley Summit 2026. This year’s theme, lignin, fibres and optimised circular processes, highlighted how the bioeconomy can contribute to the green transition.

  The conference was opened by County Governor George Andrén, who emphasised the strong position of Värmland within the forest-based bioeconomy and underlined the importance of collaboration between academia, industry and the public sector in addressing challenges such as climate change.

• 2026-06-04

  EXACT restructures following decision by the Knowledge Foundation – aims to reapply in 2027

  The industrial graduate school EXACT at Karlstad University will continue its work, despite the planned expansion EXACT+ not receiving funding in the next stage. At the end of May, the Knowledge Foundation announced that the initiative would not be granted funding for 2026. At the same time, the foundation is encouraging a new application ahead of 2027.

  In its current form, the industrial graduate school is funded by the Knowledge Foundation and runs from June 2023 to May 2029. During the spring, an application was submitted for additional funding for an expanded initiative – EXACT+. This application was thus rejected in this year’s decision.

  Jörgen Samuelsson, Director of the graduate school, nevertheless remains positive about the future.

• 2026-05-11

  Pulp can replace plastic in future packaging

  Through green chemistry and smart processing, cellulose can be given new properties that result in stronger paper and improved barrier materials. This is demonstrated in a new doctoral thesis from Karlstad University.

  Plastic is currently widely used in paper‑based packaging, such as milk and food cartons, to protect against air and moisture. However, plastic is fossil‑based and difficult to recycle together with paper. In her doctoral thesis, Mozhgan Hashemzehi shows how pulp can be modified in a more sustainable way to reduce the need for plastic in packaging.