Partnership agreement signed with Hitachi ABB Power Grids
Uppsala University and ABB can look back on a long tradition of collaboration. On Monday, a ceremony was held to spotlight the signing of an agreement on continued partnership, now with the newly formed company Hitachi ABB Power Grids.
ABB and Uppsala University have long engaged in various forms of collaboration. Since the 1960s, in particular, the University’s engineering and technology programmes have made the contact even more relevant.
The company Hitachi ABB Power Grids was formally established in the summer and focuses on electricity transmission and distribution, with clients in the energy, mining and manufacturing sectors. The company has 36,000 employees in 90 countries worldwide and plants in Ludvika, Västerås, Piteå, Figeholm and Landskrona in Sweden.
Hitachi ABB Power Grids, Sweden.
Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt
“I believe we have a lot to gain from our collaboration with Uppsala University, both in Sweden and internationally,” said Jenny Larsson, Country Managing Director, Hitachi ABB Power Grids, Sweden, an alumna of Uppsala University.
The strategic partnership now signed resembles the partnership agreement that the University had previously with ABB and may involve joint research projects, study visits, workshops, summer jobs and degree projects.
The programme for the signing day included presentations and discussions on artificial intelligence, the challenge of attracting more women to electrical engineering programmes, and a practical example of how to combine research at a university and a company.
The programme took place in the University Main Building, which inspired Johan Tysk, Vice-Rector for Science and Technology, to mention a decision where the University did not quite manage to foresee technological development. When the University Main Building was erected in the 1880s, the initial decision was not to instal electricity in the building. The researchers who were asked about this newfangled technology were dismissive and the University opted for gas lighting.
“We collaborate more broadly now than we used to. These days, electrification is not just about lighting and heating, it involves much more,” Tysk concluded.
Anna Malmberg