New Chalmers-led graduate school to foster excellence in bioeconomy research and innovation

A sustainable bioeconomy is based on the use of renewable and sustainable biological resources, biomass, as alternatives to fossil resources. Biomass is already used in a wide range of areas, such as the production of food, materials, chemicals and energy, but more efficient use, and new applications are needed to transition towards a society based on a circular bioeconomy. Sweden has favourable conditions for such a transition, with raw materials from forestry, agriculture, lakes and the sea, along with a well-developed industry.

Linking research and industry

There are several challenges involved in fully realising the value of biomass. These include bringing together research and expertise across different areas of the bioeconomy, developing new efficient process technologies and analytical tools, transferring technologies from laboratory to industrial scale, and navigating complex regulatory frameworks.

The new graduate school is designed to address these challenges through strategic research projects in bioeconomy, as well as through education and collaboration between academia, industry and society. The research will combine scientific depth, multidisciplinary breadth and strong industrial relevance.

At least 50 doctoral students will be trained

Over a period of ten years, the graduate school will educate at least 50 doctoral students. They will receive interdisciplinary supervision from both academia and industry, opportunities for research exchanges and access to a broad network within the bioeconomy field. The research will cover the entire bioeconomy value chain, ranging from fundamental to applied research in areas such as biomass production and analysis, process engineering and product development, systems analysis, sustainability assessment and innovation. To implement cutting-edge analytical methods and successfully scale up promising technologies, BioShift will also have access to several leading national research infrastructures and pilot facilities.

"The different areas of the bioeconomy are united by common process engineering and analytical challenges. We now have the opportunity to join forces around these challenges and advance the frontiers of research and innovation," says Merima Hasani, Professor of Chemical Engineering and part of the coordination team at Chalmers.

Chalmers coordinates the initiative

Researchers at the Departments of Life Sciences and Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers have coordinated the application together with a wide range of partners. Four researchers from Chalmers will be part of the coordination team leading BioShift’s activities, with two representatives from each department.

"This is a unique opportunity to connect expertise across Sweden's key biomass resources, from raw material to finished product, and to educate a new generation of PhDs who can strengthen the Swedish bioeconomy through increased excellence and profitability," says Ingrid Undeland, Professor of Food Science and part of the coordination team from Life Sciences.

Read more at Formas webpage.