IDEAS 2024

LiU students to compete in Brazil

Imagine spending a week in Brazil. Sun, beaches – and a global truck manufacturer wanting you to solve a logistics and sustainability-related problem. This is roughly what the spring semester will look like for two LiU students.

High-flying drone research

Drones already deliver defibrillators and medicine in sparsely populated areas, but how should unmanned traffic operate in large cities? With the assistance of AI and visualisation, the UTM City project will show us how.

Brazil: More than samba dancing

Brazil is more than samba dancing, football and sun-drenched beaches – and it’s more than rain forests and a controversial president. It’s also a country with important research and many talented scientists. Just ask Petter Krus.

Henrique: doctorates from both LiU and Brazil

The collaboration between LiU and Brazil is taking a step forward. Henrique Raduenz is a double degree doctoral student and will receive degrees from LiU and Brazilian university UFSC. “There’s a lot of paperwork, but it’s worth the extra effort.”

LiU inspires engineering education in Brazil

Linköping University is one of several universities around the world working together to improve engineering education. Taking inspiration from LiU, several engineering programmes in Brazil are undergoing radical change.

Industrial collaboration worth copying

Aline Kraemer and Marcelo Costa are Brazilian guest researchers at the Division of Automatic Control. Their six-month visit will soon come to an end. As they travel home, they take with them memories, insights and ideas about new ways of working.

LiU to host centre for Swedish aeronautic research

Swedish aeronautical research has been gathered into a common centre, SARC – the Swedish Aeronautic Research Center. The centre will be hosted by the Department of Management and Engineering. Top of priorities is to establish a joint graduate school.

LiU and Siemens Energy enter into strategic partnership

In order to find long-term solutions to future challenges in the energy field, Linköping University and Siemens Energy AB sign a strategic partnership agreement.

Alumni driving electrification in Kenya

Almost seven years ago, they left LiU to start a company in Nairobi. Today, Roam produces several hundred self-built electric motorcycles a month. And the journey has only just begun.

The entrepreneur who shaped his idea at LiU

Niclas Söör really got the most out of his student life at LiU. That’s what shaped his career. It was here that he got the idea for Dospace, a kind of office hotel with close to 1,400 members at eleven locations in Sweden.

Amanda Sternberg from LiU is “Tech Girl of the Year” 2025

The winner of the Tech Girl of the Year award for 2025 is LiU student Amanda Sternberg. She is a fourth-year student on the master’s programme in information technology and is passionate about getting more women to choose a career in tech.

Japan meets Sweden in linguistic research

Eiko Yasui is from Japan. For a year, she has been researching language, grammar, and movements at Linköping University. Her work has provided new insights into how we communicate and interact, and she has thoroughly enjoyed the Swedish work culture.

Radioactive legacy at the bottom of the Baltic Sea

Researchers have mapped radioactivity in the marine environment at a nuclear research facility. The research has resulted in maps, that can be used to assess the risks in connection with releases of radioactive substances into the environment.

LiU new on World Reputation Rankings list

For the first time, Linköping University has made it onto the British Times Higher Education magazine’s World Reputation Rankings list.

Prestigious physics award for Feng Gao

This year's Göran Gustafsson Prize in Physics goes to LiU professor Feng Gao. His research focuses on how new materials can be used for the next generation of solar cells and LEDs, among other things. The total prize money is SEK 7.5 million.

Next generation LEDs are cheap and sustainable

Cost, technical performance and environmental impact – these are the three most important aspects for a new type of LED technology to have a broad commercial impact on society. This has been demonstrated by LiU-researchers in a new study.

Theopisti Stylianou-Lambert is the next Moa Martinson Professor

Theopisti Stylianou-Lambert is a visual artist, researcher and a professor at the Cyprus University of Technology. Her research and artistic practice focus on museum studies and visual sociology, particular on photography and emerging technologies.

Highly radioactive nuclear waste – how to keep it from oblivion

Sweden’s radioactive nuclear waste will be stored in a sealed bedrock repository for 100,000 years. How can we ensure that it is not forgotten? Researchers at Linköping University have come up with a proposal.

Reindeer husbandry in the shadow of war – then and now

Sweden’s NATO membership may entail increased military activity in Sami reindeer herding areas. One way of trying to predict the consequences of this is to look back in history. This is what a new research project at LiU will do.

How we can reduce loneliness among older adults

"We need to understand why some individuals become lonely and provide them with support at various levels in society before it happens," says Bianca Suanet, professor at LiU who researches an inclusive society for the elderly.

Pain relief through artificial touch in new research project

Can a garment made from smart textiles relieve long-term pain? This is what researchers in neuroscience, materials science, pain research, textile science and biomechanics are seeking to find out in a new interdisciplinary research project.

The next-generation solar cell is fully recyclable

In a study published in Nature, researchers at LiU have developed a method to recycle all parts of a perovskite solar cell repeatedly without environmentally hazardous solvents. The recycled solar cell has the same efficiency as the original one.

Shedding light on sex differences in human disease

Researchers made an unexpected discovery while investigating genetically unique women. Their insights advance our understanding of our most enigmatic chromosome, the X chromosome.

Searching for materials for ultra-fast quantum computers

The number of materials that could be used in the fast quantum computers of the future has increased thanks to Oscar Groppfeldt’s degree project, for which he had access to the university’s supercomputers.

LiU flies the flag at half mast

Following the tragic school shooting in Örebro yesterday, the university is flying its flags at half-mast.

digitala-simuleringar-utvecklar-larares-ledarskap

Diplomatic talks focusing on nuclear waste and climate

Do the environmental organisations still have a role to play in Swedish nuclear waste final repository design? And is it possible to reach understanding between oil producer Saudi Arabia and the island nation of Fiji?

"Solving a technical challenge is what drives me"

Uppsala or Linköping? Vlatko Milic chose LiU 14 years ago. Staying on after his studies, doing a PhD and being employed as a researcher was not an obvious path. Now, he has started a research project that could increase Swedish resilience.

Better digital memories with the help of noble gases

The electronics of the future can be made even smaller and more efficient by getting more memory cells to fit in less space. One way to achieve this is by adding the noble gas xenon when manufacturing digital memories.

LiU leads the development of teacher education in Europe

LiU is taking a leading role in driving pedagogical innovation across Europe. With a focus on international collaboration and the role of AI in education, LiU is strengthening its efforts to prepare future teachers and transform teaching practices.

Individual cells can be connected to plastic electrodes

Researchers at LiU have succeeded in creating a close connection between individual cells and organic electronics. The study lays the foundation for future treatment of neurological and other diseases with very high precision.

Network to measure consensus among researchers is growing

In 2023, LiU joined a worldwide project to measure the extent of consensus among researchers on burning scientific issues. After a successful test, the number of higher education institutions that have registered interest has more than doubled.

Hundreds of materials in one room

The Material Realisation Laboratory is a perfect place to learn more about different materials, their properties - and what they feel like. With more than 1,500 samples gathered in one room, it's a great resource for LiU's students.

Linköping University launches new advanced composite laboratory

LiU Composite Laboratory (LCL) is the name of a newly established laboratory at Linköping University. Here, research into polymer composite materials will be conducted in collaboration with industry and other universities.

Machine Psychology – a bridge to general AI

AI that is as intelligent as humans may become possible thanks to psychological learning models, combined with certain types of AI. This is the conclusion of Robert Johansson, who in his dissertation has developed the concept of Machine Psychology.

Research for a sustainable future awarded almost SEK 20 million grant

An unexpected collaboration between materials science and behavioural science. The development of better and more useful services to tackle climate change. Two projects at LiU are to receive support from the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation.

Innovative idea for more effective cancer treatments rewarded

Lisa Menacher has been awarded the 2024 Christer Gilén Scholarship in statistics and machine learning for her master’s thesis. She utilised machine learning in an effort to make the selection of cancer treatments more effective.

Linda Carlsson is the new Director of Communications at LiU

Linköping University has appointed Linda Carlsson as new Director of Communications. She comes most recently from the Swedish Council for Higher Education.

AI can boost financial decision making

Do you have limited financial knowledge, or prefer not to think about financial issues? Then there is great potential that AI can help, according to LiU researcher Kinga Barrafrem.

Religious people are not more generous – with one exception

Believers are no more generous than atheists – at least as long as they don’t know what the recipient believes in. This is the conclusion of a study carried out at LiU

Sweden to host European AI Factory

Sweden has been selected to host one of seven European AI Factories that will strengthen the EU’s competitiveness in the field. The AI Factory combines a state-of-the-art AI-optimised supercomputer with support for education, research and innovation.

Quantum theory and information theory connected

With the help of a new experiment, researchers at LiU, have succeeded in confirming a ten-year-old theoretical study, which connects the complementarity principle with information theory.

Maths Coach Online – university students help with maths

“Mattecoach på nätet”, the online maths coach, has helped close to 70,000 students with maths. This collaboration between KTH, Linköping University and Chalmers has now spread internationally.

Josefina Syssner – Professor visiting academia

In her teens, Josefina Syssner wanted to be a cartoonist. She had no intention of studying at university. A few decades later, she is a professor  with a specific eye on the parts of Sweden that are losing population year after year.

How the nervous system distinguishes social touch

Two types of neurons in the skin may be particularly important for how the brain interprets social contact between people. Knowledge of how the nervous system processes social touch is important in order to develop ways to restore sensation.

How non-toxic and efficient solar cells can be produced

Large-scale production of organic solar cells with high efficiency and minimal environmental impact. This can now be made possible through a new design principle developed at Linköping University.

Marietta Radomska has a lively interest in death

Marietta Radomska is a surprising researcher. She researches death and grief but is lively and full of passion for what she does. She is currently running a project on ecological grief. Somewhere there is hope to change the world.

New research strengthens municipal crisis preparedness

A new research project at Linköping University is investigating how leadership can be improved to strengthen and organise municipal crisis preparedness.

Sectra – a world-leading company with roots in LiU research

It started as an extra assignment for four researchers and grew into a cutting-edge company in medical IT and cybersecurity. Follow Sectra’s journey from its roots at LiU to the global business it is today.

Shaping AI technology for the benefit of society globally

To explore similarities and challenges faced by Europe and Japan in the digital transformation era and to foster cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange - researchers and industry professionals from Europe and Japan met at LiU.

Political opinions influence our choice of chocolate

We distance ourselves from completely neutral products if they are liked by people who have political views that we find disagreeable. This is shown in four studies from Linköping University.

The collaboration pushing back the boundaries of physics

Theoretician Florian Trybel has an irreplaceable role in creating new materials. Together with his experimental research colleague in Scotland he aims to expand the possibilities of materials in extreme conditions.

Discovery about pain signalling may contribute to better treatment

LiU researchers have pinpointed the exact location of a specific protein fine-tuning the strength of pain signals. The knowledge can be used to develop drugs for chronic pain that are more effective and have fewer side effects.

Unequal conditions for young people at UN climate summits

Today, young people can participate in major UN climate conferences. But inequality and bureaucracy make this impossible for many. This is the conclusion of a study carried out at Linköping University.

LiU researchers explore sustainable forest management in the Amazon

Can climate action go hand in hand with the needs of local Amazonian communities? A research team from Linköping University is investigating this question through interdisciplinary work with communities in the Mamirauá Reserve, Brazil.

Ancient seeds give clues on climate change

Thousand-year-old seeds, and traces hidden in the soil for more than 5,000 years, provide clues to how people and their crops were affected by climate change. This knowledge may help us adapt to changes in our lifetime and in the future.

New director for Sweden’s supercomputer infrastructure

Professor Erik Lindahl will be the new director of the National Academic Infrastructure for Supercomputing in Sweden (NAISS) – the most widely used research infrastructure in the country.

Amy Loutfi new programme director of WASP

Professor Amy Loutfi will take over as programme director for the Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP). She succeeds Professor Anders Ynnerman from LiU, who will take on the role of chairman of the board for WASP.

Interdisciplinary research on IVA’s 100 List

Five research projects from LiU are on the 100 List of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA). The list pulls together projects with great potential to create value in society.

LiU receives SEK 232 million from the Swedish Research Council

The Swedish Research Council has now decided on the allocation of research grants in four areas. At Linköping University, the area of natural and engineering sciences is to receive the most funding.

Our sense of touch consists of 16 unique types of nerve cells

No less than 16 different types of nerve cells have been identified by scientists in a new study on the human sense of touch. Comparisons between humans, mice and macaques show both similarities and significant differences.

Improving Alphafold to predict very large proteins

The AI tool Alphafold has been improved so that it can now predict the shape of very large and complex protein structures. Linköping University researchers have also succeeded in integrating experimental data into the tool.

LiU researcher ahead of UN climate summit - "I’m optimistic"

Azerbaijan will host the International Climate Summit this year. Although the country is heavily dependent on its oil production, holding the meeting there could actually be an advantage, according to Rinata Kazak, who will represent LiU.

Working together for a less biased world

In what ways does modern technology risk giving us a distorted picture of the world? Seeking answers, researchers at Tema Genus are working with colleagues in computer science.

Student choirs add to festive mood in Linköping

Streets, squares and concert venues in Linköping will be filled with song as 42 student choirs from 5 different countries converge on the city.

Creating the flexible X-ray technology of the future

Professor Feng Gao has been granted SEK 31 million from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation over five years to develop a new type of X-ray technology. The goal is a flexible material that can improve X-ray detector image quality.

The hidden costs of free apps – more than personal data

Procrastination, sleep deprivation and reduced focus are part of the price we pay for free mobile apps. This is according to researchers at LiU and RISE, who have investigated the costs hidden behind the free apps.

LiU climbs in global ranking list

Linköping University rises to the 201–250 band when British Times Higher Education releases its annual ranking of world universities.

Podcast turned the history teacher into a popular educator

Daniel Hermansson is an upper secondary school teacher who has become a great educator. Whether in podcast, TV or book form, the Alum of the Year tells us about our history in a way that is as entertaining as it is well-informed.

Enjoyment and creativity – key words for Agnes Larsson

With over 100 million users each month, the Swedish game Minecraft is the world’s best-selling computer game. Agnes Larsson, Linköping University Alum of the Year, is the creative director of the ever popular and imaginative world-building game.

Alumni of the Year are experts in game development and history

Daniel Hermansson is a history expert and popular educator. Agnes Larsson is the creative director of the world’s best-selling computer game and a role model for young people in the gaming industry. They are Linköping University’s Alumni of the Year.

Body weight important in pregnancy – regardless of country of birth

Overweight is a major contributor to complications during pregnancy and childbirth – this applies to both women born in Sweden and women who have moved here, something that has not been well researched so far.

Research for a sustainable future in ten new projects

Photosynthetic materials, two-dimensional noble metals and sustainable semiconductors are some of the projects at LiU that have been granted funding from the research programme Wallenberg initiative materials science for sustainability – WISE.

Cheerleaders tell of psychological abuse

Of current and former cheerleading athletes, 29 per cent reported being subjected to psychological abuse in the sport, according to a new study from Linköping University.

LiU gains reputation

Linköping University is the institution that, together with Malmö University, has increased its reputation the most compared with last year. This is shown by Verian's annual reputation index for Swedish higher education institutions.

AI may boost society's cybersecurity

The race between hackers trying to crack systems vital to the functioning of society and cybersecurity experts is constantly ongoing. LiU-researchers will now develop AI that can detect hacker attacks and take action before any damage is done.

An AI look into the future

Humming supercomputers, robot dogs on rescue missions and plenty of future opportunities with AI and the research programmes WASP and WISE. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson got many impressions from his visit to Linköping University.

Moa Martinson visiting professor will get new perspectives of the world

Neferti X. M. Tadiar has one foot in New York and the other in Manila. As the visiting professor in the name of Moa Martinson, she will do research on colonialism, migration, capitalism, and environmental change from a new corner of the world.

Machine learning can give the climate a chance

Machine learning can help us discover new patterns and better tackle the climate crisis. Researchers from all over the world meet at Linköping University with the goal of finding and deepening collaborations in this area.

New course takes the UFO issue seriously

UFO – from tin foil hat to research topic. This is the name of a single-subject course that starts in the spring 2025 at LiU. It will approach the UFO issue in a serious way while looking at the question of what constitutes knowledge and truth.

The medical programme at LiU wins award for student engagement

The medical programme at Linköping University (LiU) has won an international accreditation for student engagement and participation in shaping the programme.

Poet to become visiting professor in Tage Danielsson’s name

She devotes herself to the power of words and sees poetry as a tool of knowledge. Athena Farrokhzad steps into academia with the ambition to shake up the templates with the help of rhymes and humour.

AI and interdisciplinarity go hand in hand

LiU has gained a strong position in artificial intelligence. In August, the government’s AI Commission visited Campus Valla to listen to researchers and acquaint themselves with supercomputers.

Conflicting signals from influencers who talk about mental ill-health

Female influencers who talk about mental ill-health walk a tightrope between different ideals for women. This is shown by two new studies from Linköping University.

She is podcasting about the best features of democracy

Alongside her doctoral studies, political scientist Helena Iacobaeus runs the podcast Aspects of Democracy. She invites various LiU researchers to discuss the benefits of democracy.

Robots are common in the care of older adults

More than half of Sweden’s municipalities have purchased companion robots in the form of dogs or cats for their dementia care homes. This is the conclusion of a doctoral thesis from Linköping University.

Soft gold enables connections between nerves and electronics

Gold does not readily lend itself to being turned into long, thin threads. But researchers at LiU have now managed to create gold nanowires and develop soft, stretchable electrodes that can be connected to the nervous system.

Opening doors that should already be open

There are people in Sweden who have relevant skills but who are still an untapped resource in the labour market. Alumnus Farzad Golchin, CEO of recruitment company Novare Potential, wants to change this by opening doors that should already be open.

Existing drug can repair ion channel linked to epilepsy

Mutated variants of a particular ion channel cause difficult-to-treat epilepsy. A study published in the journal Nature now shows that a commonly used anaesthetic drug, propofol, can restore the function of this ion channel.

Game at work – for your health

Humans are hunters and gatherers. But in today’s modern society, we are sitting more than ever, which is bad for our Stone Age body. Researchers Aseel and Erik Berglund want to change this with the help of computer games at work.

Woody surfaces of trees remove methane from the atmosphere

It is well-known that trees help the climate by taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. But it is now clear that trees have another important role to play.

LiU alumni help the industry save energy – and money

He left a high-paid job in the gas and oil industry in India for a master’s programme at LiU. Sajid Athikkay does not regret his U-turn. He now runs a company in Linköping that helps industries track and save energy.

LiU involved in a megastudy on climate behaviour

What is the best way to make people behave in a more climate-friendly way? Researchers at Linköping University and Karolinska Institutet have contributed to a worldwide study on this topic.

Nerve damage from cancer treatment can be predicted

Many women treated for breast cancer using taxanes, a type of cytostatic drug, often experience side effects in the nervous system. Researchers at LiU have developed a tool that can predict the risk level for each individual.

Her mission is difficult – but fun and achievable

We are in the midst of a tough transition towards more sustainable development. This requires innovation and knowledge, says Marie Trogstam, a LiU alumna who is now head of sustainability and infrastructure at the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise.

A liver biopsy may predict spread of pancreatic cancer

Microscopic changes in the liver can be used to predict spread of pancreatic cancer. The discovery may provide new ways of predicting the course of the disease and preventing pancreatic cancer from spreading to other organs.

She wants to make robots behave better

Researcher Hannah Pelikan believes that we will see increased conflicts between humans and robots in the future.  In her research, she films everyday encounters between humans and machines to see what happens.

International collaboration lays the foundation for AI for materials

AI is accelerating the development of new materials. Large-scale use and exchange of data on materials is facilitated by a broad international standard. A major international collaboration now presents an extended version of the OPTIMADE standard.

From sketches to a robot with artificial intelligence

How do you develop a product with as little human involvement as possible? LiU students built a robot using generative artificial intelligence.

More effective cancer treatment with iontronic pump

When low doses of cancer drugs are administered continuously near malignant brain tumours using so-called iontronic technology, cancer cell growth drastically decreases. This is demonstrated in experiments with bird embryos.

Electronic medicine – at the intersection of technology and medicine

Swedish researchers have developed a gel that can form a soft electrode capable of conducting electricity. In the long term, they aim to connect electronics to biological tissue, such as the brain.

Agreement signed – supercomputer Arrhenius to Linköping

The hosting agreement between NAISS at LiU and EuroHPC JU has been signed. This means that LiU is now officially hosting the European supercomputer Arrhenius, which will become one of the world’s fastest computers.

Cancer survivors are at increased risk of disease throughout life

A study, led by researchers at LiU and Region Östergötland, shows that cancer survivors are at greater risk for cardiovascular diseases, other cancers and other diagnoses later in life.

Pathway to a renewable and more democratic energy system

The EU requires member states to facilitate local renewable energy production through so-called energy communities. But in Sweden, the system is structured in a way that counteracts such solutions, conclude researchers from LiU.