The Knut and Ragnvi Jacobsson Family Foundation has initiated a three-year collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology to fund a postdoctoral position. The initiative will strengthen research in the borderland between innovation, entrepreneurship and strategy and contribute to new knowledge with practical relevance to society.
Through the collaboration, the foundation wants to create conditions for long-term research and international knowledge exchange. Supporting a postdoc means the opportunity for in-depth study in a research area that is central to business development, innovation and future growth.
The Knut and Ragnvi Jacobsson Family Foundation is today run by the next generation, with daughters and grandchildren represented on the board.
"Chalmers is a natural partner for the foundation, with strong historical ties to our father Knut Jacobsson, who was himself a Chalmers student, founder of Atlet and later an honorary doctor at Chalmers. We see research with a clear connection to entrepreneurship as particularly important, and hope that in the long term the initiative can contribute to more successful companies and new jobs," says Marianne Brismar, Chairperson of the Knut and Ragnvi Jacobsson Family Foundation.
Research on human-AI interaction
For Chalmers, the collaboration means an opportunity to further strengthen its research environment and connect with international expertise. The postdoc will be affiliated with the Department of Technology Management and Economics and conduct research in innovation, entrepreneurship and strategy, with a focus on combining academic excellence with practical relevance and real-world industrial challenges.
The interest in the position was very high. A total of 168 applications were received from researchers around the world, which testifies to both Chalmers' attractiveness and the relevance of the research area.
After a thorough academic selection process, Hassan Hamadi was selected for the position. He is a civil engineer and in the final phase of his doctoral education at the Lund University School of Economics and Management.
"My background is in engineering and business administration. I am currently studying the emergent capabilities of human-AI teams, especially, how it is changing human reasoning as we know it, and decision-making," says Hassan Hamadi.
"At Chalmers, I will focus on the theoretical and practical understanding of human-AI interactions, to exploit their asymmetrical capabilities, for improved inference, problem-solving, and overall organizing. For instance, cases like natural language processing, and the increasing reliance on Large Language Models, require a new approach to understand the emerging thinking infrastructures in teams, startups, or organizations.”
"I look forward to starting a new chapter in a new city like Gothenburg. Most importantly, I am looking forward to meeting my future colleagues at Chalmers and see what they are doing," says Hassan Hamadi.
An important piece of the puzzle for Chalmers
"We are very grateful for the funding and the opportunity to collaborate with the Knut and Ragnvi Jacobsson Family Foundation," says Joakim Björkdahl, Head of Department at Technology Management and Economics.
"The foundation's support makes it possible for us to attract outstanding talents like Hassan and give them the space to conduct free and innovative research. This strengthens both the quality and relevance of our research, which is central to both the department and Chalmers. Hassan's research will contribute to a deeper understanding of hybrid intelligence and the interaction between humans and AI in organizational and entrepreneurial contexts, such as how problems are formulated, how solutions are developed and how decisions are made," says Joakim Björkdahl.
For Chalmers, funding from the foundation is an important part of creating better conditions for research. Teppo Heiskanen, Advancement Director and responsible for Chalmers' fundraising efforts, explains:
"This collaboration is a good example of how foundations and Chalmers can work together strategically and long-term for the common good. A larger grant over several years instead of smaller grants annually provides the researcher with the opportunity to focus effectively on the content of the research. The dialogue with the Knut and Ragnvi Jacobsson Family Foundation has been very good – we are grateful for the grant and look forward to the collaboration in the future," says Teppo Heiskanen.
The new postdoctoral position is realized during the spring, and the collaboration will run for three years. The hope is that the research will contribute to strengthened innovation capacity, increased knowledge and new insights that can be put into practice – both in academia and in the business community.
Contacts
- Head of Department, Technology Management and Economics
- Advancement Director, Chalmers Holding AB