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2025-11-25
Green Materials Technology for Sustainable Packaging
Researchers at the corporate research school Exact have developed a new cellulose-based nanomaterial. The density of this new material makes it a greener and more sustainable alternative, for example as a coating in packaging.
The new cellulose nanomaterial has been created through a special process called Fenton oxidation. This process is based on hydrogen peroxide and iron ions reacting together, which breaks down cellulose fibers in a controlled way. When combined with mechanical treatment, the fibers become highly refined, almost as if they are “frayed” at the micron level.
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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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2025-11-20
Competing Is Part of Being a Musician
Pianist Sebastian Iivonen is enrolled in the Artistic Master’s Program for Musicians at Ingesund School of Music. He has just completed a semifinal in the Solistpriset, Sweden’s foremost soloist competition and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music’s largest award for young musicians, presented every two years.
“I’m so satisfied and happy to have participated. I did my best and was well prepared, so I’m pleased with my performance. I was able to enjoy it and played from the heart.”
What is it like to compete in such a major competition?
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2025-11-20
Intergenerational encounters at folk high schools – research on learning across age boundaries
What happens in the encounter between different age groups? How do these encounters affect learning and social relations? These are questions that a new research project is focusing on in relation to Swedish folk high schools.
– Folk high schools have an unusually wide age span compared to many other educational institutions and provide an important yet often overlooked arena for intergenerational encounters, says Satu Heikkinen, Associate Professor of Sociology at Karlstad University.
In today’s society, age groups are often separated outside the family, a pattern that, according to previous research, contributes to ageism and stereotypical notions of younger and older people.
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2025-11-19
Can a photovoltaic system for a typical single-family house be profitable?
The answer to that question is yes. In a recently completed project, the economic benefit of a photovoltaic system has been studied, based on real data from a Swedish villa.
– The study shows that the photovoltaic system can generate economic profit, even without investing in a battery for energy storage, says Markus Rinio, Professor of Renewable Energy – Photovoltaics.
