Society-focussed research earns two academics top awards
The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) considers Arezoo Sarkheyli-Hägele and Caroline Wigren-Kristoferson's research to be important and innovative.
Two researchers at Malmö University – Arezoo Sarkheyli-Hägele and Caroline Wigren-Kristoferson – have been honoured with a place on the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences 100 list for 2024.
The list highlights contemporary research and aims to make it easier for researchers and the private sector to create innovation and business opportunities together.
Arezoo Sarkheyli-Hägele
Sarkheyli-Hägele's research focuses on improving communication during evacuations in large buildings; this is done through an evacuation system that can be used in case of fires, earthquakes, and terrorist attacks.
“We have developed an evacuation assistance system called EvacAware. In the future, we envisage the system being installed in large smart buildings, such as sports stadiums, shopping centres, large companies, and schools,” says Sarkheyli-Hägele, who is based at the Department of Computer Science and Media Technology.
Caroline Wigren-Kristoferson
Caroline Wigren-Kristoferson's research concerns the creation of socially sustainable neighbourhoods, and building vibrant communities, where all voices are heard. Through co-creative research with the real estate companies Helsingborgshem, Stena Fastigheter and HSB Malmö, the project has explored dialogue as a crucial key to sustainable development.
“Our research team has developed a ‘dialogue ladder’ specifically for housing companies. With this ladder, companies can prioritise the type of dialogue they should use to deepen communication and create mutual understanding and engagement with residents,” says Wigren-Kristofersons, a professor at the Department of Urban Studies.
This year's 100 list focuses on innovation through interdisciplinarity and covers topics such as society and welfare, infrastructure, deep tech, smart industry, circular economy, resource, and energy efficiency.
“Sweden has outstanding research with enormous potential to improve the world through new technologies. The high quality of research has made it particularly challenging for IVA's selection committee to choose the most promising research projects this year,” says Sylvia Schwaag Serger, the CEO of IVA.
More about IVA's 100 list
The 100 list which works to ensure that Sweden is a leader in transforming academic research in technical and economic sciences into innovation and competitiveness in business. IVA's 100 list was launched in 2019. The selection committee consists of more than 60 individuals from IVA's broad network of representatives from academia, business, and the public sector. It is run in collaboration with Vinnova, Sting, the Swedish Patent and Registration Office, Voima Ventures, the Knowledge Foundation, the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, Teknikföretagen, Sweden's universities and colleges.
