Research in artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly but has so far struggled to make a broad impact across many sectors of society. Chalmers is now establishing a test environment where Swedish public authorities, companies, and researchers can receive support in solving concrete challenges in areas such as healthcare, transport, and manufacturing. The AI initiative is being undertaken through the newly established research institute Chalmers Next Labs.
The Chalmers-owned research institute has existed since 2023 and is now bringing in AI experts, researchers, and software developers who will work together with companies and public authorities. The goal is to tailor AI solutions that can be put to practical use in everything from production lines and transport flows to decision support in healthcare.
“We are now launching a broad recruitment drive to build a team that combines research depth with practical experience. AI is a powerful tool, but we must translate new knowledge into solutions that make a real difference in practice. We want to work closely with those who face the challenges daily – such as healthcare professionals, urban planners, or entrepreneurs,” says Monica Ringvik, CEO of Chalmers Next Labs.
The initial step involves hiring approximately ten senior researchers and engineers in areas such as data management, modelling, and validation. Chalmers Next Labs is building a specialised and exploratory environment where businesses and public actors can receive support in exploring AI opportunities within their own operations, thereby accelerating the implementation of AI across various sectors of society.
“There is fantastic AI research being conducted in Sweden, but support and expertise may be needed to develop applications that work in practice. That’s exactly where Chalmers Next Labs comes in,” says Monica Ringvik.
Chalmers has long been an active player in Swedish AI research – including the Chalmers Artificial Intelligence Research Centre (CHAIR), the national Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP), and its role in the national supercomputer infrastructure NAISS. Collaboration with other universities, not least KTH, has also contributed to building a strong research environment.
Chalmers’ President Martin Nilsson Jacobi, a professor of complex systems, sees the Chalmers Next Labs initiative as a natural next step in the university’s AI strategy.
“We have the research, the infrastructure, and the networks. Now we are also building the capacity to realise that knowledge in society – through concrete solutions,” says Martin Nilsson Jacobi.
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Chalmers Next Labs – short facts:
Chalmers Next Labs AB was founded in 2023 as a research institute within the Chalmers Group. The institute, which operates as a limited company, is a key part of Chalmers’ strategy to become a world-class technical university. Chalmers Next Labs focuses on needs-driven research and development closely linked to research in Chalmers University of Technology’s fields, and operates in close collaboration with industry and society.
Chalmers Next Labs currently runs a quantum testbed that supports Swedish companies and universities in quantum technology. The testbed, part of the Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology (WACQT), offers first-class resources for evaluating both quantum hardware and software. A helpdesk is also available for quantum-related enquiries. Recently, Chalmers Next Labs was also commissioned to run a new collaboration platform, Space West, for future space services.
For more information, contact:
Monica Ringvik, monica.ringvik@chalmersnextlabs.se, +46 (0)70-3748210
For more information, please contact
- Ceo, Chalmers Next Labs AB