Cornelius Holtorf is a professor at Linnaeus University and describes himself as an archaeologist of the future. His interests range from preserving the memory of nuclear waste over time, to the kind of culture people are leaving behind for future generations, to addressing the climate crisis through cultural heritage. It is in collaboration with others that Cornelius says he can make a difference.
Problems are there to be solved, and sometimes a problem needs to be redefined for the right solution to be put in place. These are the words of Tony Gorschek, Professor of Software Engineering at Blekinge Institute of Technology, who regards working with companies as a matter of course. This also pinpoints the difference between being a researcher and a consultant – a difference that collaborating researchers often feel they need to clarify.
Collaboration often leads to new ideas, new projects, and sometimes even new companies. For Sepehr Mousavi at Swegreen and the researchers they work with, it involves sharing ideas, developing smart solutions, and challenging each other in what is seen as possible. The process itself – the creation of knowledge – is interesting and creates value.
The Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) is an example of an institution entirely founded on collaboration – although the word collaboration is neither used nor part of their vocabulary. According to President Lars Strannegård, the idea of doing things together with companies and other stakeholders permeates the way SSE organises itself to conduct relevant teaching and research. It is in dialogue with others that SSE develops knowledge pertinent to our society.
Kristina Säfsten is Professor of Production Systems at the School of Engineering, Jönköping University, and is driven by her desire to learn and develop, both as a person and as a citizen. The road there leads through collaboration. Collaboration is time-consuming, but it also makes the work meaningful. It is a requirement for developing relevant knowledge. Collaboration lays the foundation for “democratic knowledge development” – a society that requires us to learn from and about each other.
Johan Eker is the adjunct professor who became a “real” professor in an environment based on close collaboration between academia and industry. Thanks to support and encouragement from managers at both the Faculty of Engineering at Lund University and Ericsson Research, Johan has been able to be in the middle, with one foot in each world. It is a win-win model, but one that requires respect and the understanding that these are two different roles with different missions.
Collaboration comes naturally to some, and it is simply the result of curiosity and the desire to learn from others. Jan-Olof Jacke, CEO of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise and former CEO of Astra Zeneca Sweden, is one such person. Successful collaboration requires fearlessness, unpretentiousness, and understanding the value of meeting others.
Emma Björkenstam practises what she preaches. As an area manager at ByggDialog, her work involves ensuring that the collaboration between different parties in a construction process works. Being able to collaborate is essential, as a single person seldom has the solution to a problem. Collaboration not only contributes to better solutions, but also provides added value in everyday life: If we talk more to each other, work becomes both easier and more enjoyable.
Swift development is needed to cope with everything from battery production, electrification, and new materials for the production and distribution of hydrogen. In her role as County Governor of Västerbotten County, Helene Hellmark Knutsson faces ever tougher demands to increase the pace of transition and with that comes the need for new knowledge. Nowadays, she rarely needs to convince people that knowledge needs to be developed in collaboration; instead, the discussions concern how this should be done – the actual doing.
In connection with the Knowledge Foundation’s 30th anniversary, we are investing SEK 170 million in the next generation of researchers. The initiative for Jubilee Doctoral Students includes 44 doctoral positions across Sweden and aims to strengthen collaboration between academia and industry. By actively involving external partners, the doctoral students will be prepared for future academic careers as well as roles outside academia.