“It is the in-between spaces that have the potential for innovation!”

These spaces are not confined by the boundaries of individual organizations, allowing for knowledge generation and innovation. In-between spaces have the potential to generate creative solutions by leveraging the diversity of practices and values brought in by various organizations. These spaces can be physical, cognitive, or emotional, providing a unique platform for interaction and collaboration. University - Industry is such an in-between space.

The phrase “in-between spaces” was then picked up by moderator Jon Bokrantz and several other speakers during the day, as it was spot on when speaking about the importance of collaborations between academia and university.

"Dare to be visionary and try new things!"

Next on scene was Frances Sprei, Professor in Sustainable Mobility at Chalmers. In her talk “Sustainable production for achieving climate goals” she described the transition of the Västra Götaland region towards more sustainable production. The region aims to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, aligning with EU climate policies.

Frances concluded by emphasizing the importance of a proactive approach and visionary thinking to meet the ambitious climate targets and drive sustainable development in the Västra Götaland region. Her reflections for successful collaborations are

• openness and ability to listen to each other’s needs
• data sharing
• dare to be visionary and try new things!

A common understanding is crucial

The third keynote speaker was Maria Bernander from Volvo Cars. In her talk “The importance of collaboration between industry and academia” she emphasized the critical role of collaboration between industry and academia to drive long-term technological research and development. At Volvo Cars, this collaboration concerns sustainable materials, environmental impact, and new technologies such as vehicle batteries. Joint efforts with universities like Chalmers, Uppsala, and Lund are crucial for advancing battery technology, recycling processes, and sustainable manufacturing practices.

Maria concludes by stressing that ongoing collaboration and strategic alignment between industry and academia are essential for achieving sustainable development and maintaining Sweden's competitive edge in technology and innovation. Her advice is to have a common understanding of goal and scope, to keep an open mind in the dialogue and to make sure that everyone can see their role.

Industry and academy collaboration that makes it happen

The title of the day was "Collaborate to compete: Sustainable production", and focus was on the platforms for collaboration between academia and industry; the competence centres linked to the Production Area of Advance, and Lund University's Division of Production and Materials which is a part of the same. 

The competence centres gather expertise in various research areas and provide a collaborate platform - an in-between space - between with academia, public society and business. The research centres were presented by both academic and industry partners and showcased how collaboration creates significant impact and more sustainable production.

The presentations were:

Where Industry and Academia Meet for Chemical Engineering's Future
– Centre Chemical Process Engineering: Ronnie Andersson, Chalmers and Oleg Pajalic, Perstorp.

Credible and applied life cycle thinking - key to a sustainable future
– Swedish Life Cycle Center: Maria Rydberg, Chalmers and Susan Ilijefski Janols, Essity.

Model for Research and Industrial Implementation – 20 years of successful collaboration
– Wingquist Laboratory: Rikard Söderberg, Chalmers and Johan Stabeck, Volvo Cars.

Material and process development for powder-based metal AM: co-creation with industry – key to success
– Centre for Additive Manufacture Metal: Eduard Hryha, Chalmers and Sven Bengtsson, Höganäs.

Fostering Collaboration for Sustainable Material Ecosystem
– Competence Centre Recycling: Burcak Ebin, Chalmers.

Transitioning to fossil-free production: the role of metalworking fluids
- Centre for Metal Cutting Research: Peter Krajnik, Chalmers.

Synergies and holistic approach

Last presenter was Lund University’s Division of Production and Materials Technology, which is a part of Production Area of advance. In their talk “Synergetic collaboration for holistic knowledge development - accelerating process and material selection”, Christina Windmark and Filip Lenrick gave us an insight of being a part of the greater Copenhagen area and how societal challenges can lead to fundamental studies. They had invited Lena Magnusson Åberg, Volvo Trucks, who gave some good reasons why it is rewarding for companies to collaborate with academia. For example, you get access to fresh knowledge, opportunities to inform academia of industry relevant topics, and last, but not least, showing the company off as a possible future employer.

Panel reflections

When the day was summarized, the panel concluded that collaboration and innovation are key to driving progress in research and education and more important than ever. The speakers emphasized the importance of involving diverse stakeholders, including academia, industry, and end-users, to tackle sustainability challenges. They highlighted the need for coordinated efforts to address big questions and stressed the value of learning from failures. Speakers also underscored the importance of attracting and retaining young talent to continue driving growth and long-term competence provisioning. It was also noted that we need to speak with eachother in new ways. And that we are in a hurry.