IDEAS 2024

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.

This year’s alumni create sustainability with plastic recycling and heat technology

Mattias Philipsson has made major contributions towards strengthening Sweden’s position in plastic recycling. Lisa Lundström is involved in the development of innovative heating solutions.  They are Linköping University’s Alumni of the Year 2025.

Inspiring others to dare choose a career in engineering

Lisa Lundström always dreamed of being an engineer. Today, she owns and leads a heating technology company with customers all over the world. The Alumna of the Year is committed to inspiring more young people to dare dream of a career in engineering.

How technology can strengthen Sweden’s food preparedness

Should Sweden be hit by a crisis, there is only enough food to feed half of our population. Could new technology be the solution easing our concerns at the dining table?

How Ukraine keeps society going despite the war

Despite being the war, Ukraine has maintained public services. A new study from LiU points to the collaboration between citizens and public authorities as a key factor. There are lessons to be learned for other countries in this, the researchers say.

LiU turns 50 - the second act

Did you think that LiU’s 50-year birthday celebrations were already over? Then think againThe Kalas event kicked off the autumn term, and the next few months will see concerts, conferences and another academic ceremony, to name but a few events.

Plastic nerve cells become more advanced – and simpler

An artificial neuron made of conductive plastics that can perform advanced functions similar to those of biological nerve cells has been demonstrated by researchers at LiU.

Ancient lentils shed light over Canary Islands history

The very first genetic study of archaeological lentils show that lentils grown in the Canary Islands have a history that stretches back almost 2,000 years. These lentils may become valuable for plant breeding in the light of ongoing climate change.

Biogas solutions fuel innovation

Policymakers may find it difficult to understand and be able to weigh in all sustainability effects of biogas systems. A new report highlights 53 different effects, most of which have a positive impact on society.

LiU activates crisis management following bus accident on the E4

LiU has activated its crisis management team due to a bus accident on the E4 motorway. It involves a campus bus between LiU’s three campuses in Norrköping and Linköping. "Important to take care of one another", says vice-chancellor Jan-Ingvar Jönsson

Centres of Excellence strengthen LiU’s research

The investment in four prominent research environments, Centres of Excellence, will ensure long-term development, improved quality and deeper collaboration for LiU.

New discovery reveals how chromosome ends can be protected

Researchers have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that safeguards the chromosome ends from being mistakenly repaired by the cell - a mistake with potentially catastrophic outcomes.

Cyberattack against LiU's system supplier Miljödata - updated September 15

On 25 August, it became known that Miljödata, the provider of the Adato system used by LiU in the employee rehabilitation process, had been subjected to a cyberattack. A number of measures have been taken to determine what the consequences may be.

ERC Starting Grant to Linda Bojmar

Linda Bojmar has been awarded just over SEK 16 million from the European Research Council, ERC. Her research aims to increase understanding of how pancreatic cancer spreads in the body and how treatment can be made more effective.

LiU opens office in Brussels

Linköping University has opened an EU Office in Brussels to increase its presence and influence within European research and innovation. The office will be led by Lisa Pohl, who most recently comes from the European Commission.

Researching forgotten workers through art

Theopisti Stylianou-Lambert explores how local archaeological workers in colonial-era Cyprus have been omitted from historical narratives. Her art-based research brings hidden stories to light and opens new ways of thinking.

Fröken Björn: Student life is the ultimate education

Björn “Fröken Björn” Lagerström spent 13 years at Linköping University. Not because he didn’t want to finish, but simply because student life was too much fun to leave.

AI reshapes research and doctoral education

AI has become an important part of research and doctoral education thanks to new tools that are constantly evolving. It creates new opportunities but also raises questions about integrity, data management and academic responsibility.

Unpackaged food can reduce emissions

How do consumers respond to unpackaged food? And how can the producers and supermarkets design solutions that rely less on single-use packaging? These are some questions explored by PhD student Elena Jiménez Romanillos.

Fawlty Towers - the invisible subtitlers revealed

Swedes read a lot - especially if you include film and TV subtitles. But does the subtitler themselves play any role? In search of an answer, researcher Lars Jämterud has looked at the translation of the classic British comedy series Fawlty Towers.

“Skin in a syringe” a step towards a new way to heal burns

Researchers have created what could be called “skin in a syringe”. The gel containing live cells can be 3D printed into a skin transplant, as shown in a study conducted on mice. This technology may lead to new ways to treat burns and severe wounds.

Great potential for increased resource efficiency through industrial symbiosis

The need for more knowledge and experience in implementing industrial symbiosis in Europe led to the EU project Coralis – which has now been completed. Researchers from Linköping University led two of the project’s main areas.

LiU and Stanford develop drone technology for forest fire monitoring

Students from Linköping University and Stanford have developed a drone that can help firefighters combat forest fires in a safer and smarter way.

A goal-oriented student

As a goalkeeper in IFK Norrköping, Sofia Hjern has been part of the club's journey from Division One to Damallsvenskan. She has now also been called up for the national team – while studying behavioural science at Linköping University.

LiU and Region Östergötland invest in AI and precision health

Linköping University and Region Östergötland announce initiatives in the areas of life science, medtech, innovation and information-driven precision health in a new collaboration agreement.

More effective production of “green” hydrogen with new combined material

Hydrogen produced from water is a promising renewable energy source – especially if the hydrogen is produced using sunlight. Now LiU researchers show that a combination of new materials improves the efficiency of the chemical reaction several times.

Fatty liver – but not liver damage – common in type 2 diabetes

Six out of ten people with type 2 diabetes had fatty liver in a new study. Of these, only a small percentage had developed more severe liver disease. Type 2 diabetes in combination with obesity is linked to a greater risk.

The Hasselblad Foundation supports dome film about the moon landings

Visualization Center C in Norrköping is creating a new 3D full dome production to take the audience on a journey back to the moon landings. The Hasselblad Foundation has contributed funding for the film Once Upon the Moon.

LiU researchers study the export potential of Swedish biogas

Now is the time to invest in the export of Swedish biogas. But perhaps it is primarily knowledge transfer and an understanding of the entire waste management system that Sweden should be exporting.

More than SEK 63 million in Formas research grants

Research into planning, reuse and renovation in the construction sector receives substantial grants from Formas, a government research council for sustainable development. Seven projects share a total of just over SEK 63 million.

Complex and lasting consequences of statelessness

A stateless person is not a citizen in any country. However, the phenomenon of statelessness extends far beyond this legal definition. In his doctoral dissertation Haqqi Bahram exposes the complexity of living this reality and its lasting legacy.

Rivers release ancient carbon into the atmosphere

Watercourses release soil carbon that can be thousands of years old into the atmosphere. This runs counter to the prevailing view that it is mainly carbon from newly decomposed organic material that is released from watercourses.

Stronger Berzelius ready for the research of the future

The latest upgrading of the supercomputer Berzelius at LiU has now been completed. Its doubled capacity enables researchers across Sweden to tackle current and future challenges in areas such as materials science, bioinformatics and machine learning.

Science without borders – Gillian Einstein honored at LiU

“It is such an honor, and I am truly proud to have been appointed honorary doctor.” That’s what Professor Gillian Einstein said when she visited Campus US for her honorary doctorate lecture and a couple of intense days at Linköping University.

From simulation to reality with autonomous cars

If Linköping University is to be a leading player in self-driving vehicles, we need to gear up. This is according to Theodor Westny at the Division of Vehicular Systems who is the initiator of a new research and teaching platform.

Honorary doctors celebrated their collaborations with LiU

Speaker of the Riksdag Andreas Norlén and Professor Angela Woods praised their collaborations with Linköping University when they were conferred honorary doctorates at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Not a throne, but a royal hunting stool

This is the story of the struggle between aesthetics and function and how Linköping University created a royal hunting stool, handed over as a gift to his Majesty The King in connection with LiU’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

The whole of Östergötland congratulates LiU on its 50th anniversary

When LiU turns 50, the whole county joins forces and gives a present of one Swedish krona per inhabitant. The money will be awarded to selected research projects with the aim of contributing to a better society.

A festive day with royal splendour

Almost 50 years to the day since he inaugurated Linköping University, His Majesty The King returned to attend the festivities on Campus Valla. The day was filled with lectures, meetings, speeches and music.

The goldsmith who has followed LiU

Master goldsmith Margareth Sandström has been part of LiU’s history since 1975. 24 years old at the time, she was given the prestigious assignment to create LiU’s Vice-Chancellor’s chain.

Mechanism in embryonic development makes cancer aggressive

Tumour cells in colorectal cancer exploit an important signalling pathway that normally controls embryo development. Researchers have now shown how a protein that controls limb development make colorectal cancer cells more likely to spread.

Major step for flat and adjustable optics

By carefully placing nanostructures on a flat surface, researchers at LiU have significantly improved the performance of so-called optical metasurfaces in conductive plastics. This is a major step for controllable flat optics.

How molecules can ‘remember’ and contribute to memory

Researchers have discovered how an ion channel in the brain’s neurons has a kind of ‘molecular memory’, which contributes to the formation and preservation of lifelong memories.

Pioneer in education and IT new jubilee doctor at Linköping University

In 1970, Ulla Riis joined LiU as a new lecturer in education. She was encouraged to pursue doctoral studies by the first professor in the subject. At the Academic Ceremony, she will now, more than fifty years later, become a jubilee doctor.

Academic Celebrations for semi-centennial university

This spring’s Academic Celebrations will take place on 23-24 May. Among the highlights are the performance of a new piece of music composed in honour of the university, and open lectures by honorary doctors, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

LiU’s choir singing number one on the Billboard chart

LiU’s choir singers feature in the intro to the world-famous band Ghosts’ latest album Skeletá, which was released on 25 April. The album became part of music history by reaching number one on the US Billboard chart.

Snus cessation led to increased body weight and blood pressure

Snus users who stopped using snus experienced higher blood pressure and gained weight. This has been shown by a research group at Linköping University in a study on 33 people.

The enthusiast is shaping LiU’s academic symbols again

Mats Nåbo, one of LiU’s true enthusiasts, has been involved in shaping LiU’s symbols for 30 years. Now he is doing it again for LiU's 50th anniversary.

Award winner with an interest in how people solve practical problems

Blood. Engineers. Housewives. The list of subjects Boel Berner, professor emerita at LiU, has taken an interest in is long and still growing. She is now awarded the Ingemar Ingemarsson interdisciplinarity prize.

Disturbance-free city during construction projects

Having a holistic approach to all construction projects in a city is the most important factor for minimising disturbance. But that is easier said than done. This is shown by researchers from LiU in a new book.

New cybersecurity lab at LiU

The new cybersecurity lab is a milestone in Linköping University´s investment in education in this field. The students should feel that "wow, it's possible to do something exciting here", said Vice-rector Matts Karlsson at the inauguration on 7 May.

SEK 26 million for research on the environment and sustainability

Five projects at LiU receive funding when the Kamprad Family Foundation rewards research that can contribute to a better environment and better quality of life for the elderly. The projects at Linköping University are very much about sustainability.

How to reduce global CO2 emissions from industry

Global emissions of carbon dioxide from industry can be reduced by five per cent. But that requires companies and policy makers to take a holistic approach to energy efficiency. This is the conclusion of researchers, including from LiU.

A pipette that can activate individual neurons

Researchers at LiU have developed a type of pipette that can deliver ions to individual neurons without affecting the sensitive extracellular milieu. The technique can provide important insights into how individual braincells are affected.

What goes on in a designer’s brain?

Professor Tomohiko Sakao believes that environmental impact starts at the drawing board. He is launching a study to understand how designers think during the creative phase.

From Kårallen to the European Commission

A photo of a happy young woman in intimate conversation with the Queen. Who is this woman? According to her name tag she is Helen Köpman, and is in charge of Kårallen.

Fewer back problems with BetterBack

Most backs protest at least at once in a lifetime. Movement is often the best help. Therefore, researchers and physiotherapists in healthcare have developed a model of care “BetterBack (BättreRygg)”, which has now attracted international attention.

How property owners can work to prevent flooding

The risk of heavy rainfall and severe flooding increases with climate change. But property owners  often underestimate their own responsibility. In a new scientific article, researchers from LiU show how the can go about the preventive work.

Blurred borders between civilian and military

A tense political situation in the world, a war in Europe and an everyday life with increasing threats to our security – what do the researchers do? More than you might think and there will be even more. Defence research is more active than ever.

The award winner: “Genetics is a bit like the Wild West”

Colm Nestor has been awarded the 2025 Onkel Adam Prize for outstanding research at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. One of his research areas is gender differences in susceptibility to autoimmune diseases and infections.

From Europe to Australia and back

As a child in the 1970s, Claudia Tazreiter emigrated from Austria to Australia with her family. For more than three years now, she has been back in Europe. Now as a professor at LiU. It is not a coincidence that migration is her field of study.

Increase in program applications at LiU

When the application for the autumn semester closed, 411,200 people had submitted at least one application. At LiU, the number of applicants to programs increased by three percent.

Images of a heartbeat can save lives

Researchers at LiU have developed a new method for rapid and safe diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. Once fully developed, the method will be able to save lives, reduce suffering and save money worldwide.

Magnus Klofsten – Professor of brilliant ideas

Thousands of business ideas and innovations have passed Magnus Klofsten during his more than 30 years as a researcher in innovation and entrepreneurship. LiU has been involved in many success stories in Swedish industry.

The future of crisis management should be built on openness and transparency

A research group at Linköping University has examined the pandemic response in Nordic municipalities. The findings are summarised in the book Crisis Management, Governance and COVID-19, offering insights for future crises.

A fluid battery that can take any shape

Using electrodes in a fluid form, researchers at LiU have developed a battery that can take any shape. This soft and conformable battery can be integrated into future technology in a completely new way.

From sewing to 3D printing

DigiMaker is a unique place at Linköping University where creativity meets technology. Here, students and employees try out everything from 3D printing to programming, learn more about Excel and how to make films and podcasts.

Nvidia CEO and Riksdag Speaker to be awarded honorary doctorates

Jensen Huang, CEO of the electronics company Nvidia, will become an honorary doctor at Linköping University. So will Riksdag Speaker Andreas Norlén and the international researchers Angela Woods and Gillian Einstein.

English on the screen negatively impacts Swedish children’s language development

Five-year-olds who consume a lot of digital media in English have poorer language skills in Swedish. This is shown in new research from LiU.

The researchers who need to be one step ahead

Today’s society rests on cyber security and the ability to be one step ahead of hackers. In recent years, a new threat has emerged – AI. However, according to researchers Elisa Bertino and Simin Nadjm-Tehrani, AI could also be part of the solution.

HM The King to celebrate 50 years of innovation with LiU

Linköping University is celebrating its 50th birthday, and in May there will be an intensive party week with lectures, a festival and a birthday reception. King Carl XVI Gustaf, who inaugurated the university in 1975, is the guest of honour.

LiU to invest in AI lab for future learning

Linköping University is investing SEK 3 million in the AIST lab, a new platform for research and education on AI in teaching. The goal is to develop and critically examine how AI can improve learning and teacher education.

LiU receives mark of excellence from EU

Linköping University has been awarded the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award. It is a mark of excellence that shows that the university is making systematic efforts to improve the working conditions of researchers.

Academic freedom in practice

The group of master’s students on the Ethnicity and Migration programme at LiU are unique. They are the first in Sweden to take a university course in how to create a campaign in support of an imprisoned researcher and for academic freedom.

Mathias Fridahl nominated to the Swedish Climate Policy Council

Mathias Fridahl, researcher at Linköping University, has been nominated to the Swedish Climate Policy Council, a government agency that evaluates how the government's policies align with Sweden's climate goals.

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's success 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, particularly 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.

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.