Strong research environments and research areas

Here we present a selection of strong research environments and research areas at Uppsala University.

National competence centres

Vinnova and the Swedish Energy Agency funds a number of Swedish competence centres where universities, university colleges, research institutes, private companies and public sector actors conduct close cooperation on research within areas important to Sweden’s competitiveness. The following competence centres are led from Uppsala University.

Additive Manufacturing for the Life Sciences

Research and development of new technologies for 3D printing, including complex structures for improved bioprocesses, more reproducible 3D tumour models and quicker optimisation of medical treatments. The centre is funded by Vinnova. Contact Project manager Cecilia Persson

Additive Manufacturing for the Life Sciences website

Batteries Sweden (BASE)

Research to create new types of light, cheap, environmentally friendly and safe batteries with ultra-high energy capacity. The centre is funded by Vinnova. Contact Project manager Kristina Edström

Batteries Sweden (BASE) website

Competence centre Academic-Industrial Nuclear Technology Initiative to Achieve a Future Sustainable Energy Supply (ANItA)

The ANItA competence centre is part of the Swedish Energy Agency’s investment in competence centres, for the period 2022–2026, in the area of sustainable energy systems, and is led by Uppsala University.

ANItA assembles much of Sweden’s industrial and academic nuclear expertise under one umbrella with the purpose to support development of a knowledge-based strategy for introducing small modular reactors in Sweden. The work of the centre is multidisciplinary and covers not only nuclear technology but also licensing and regulatory aspects as well as issues related to the impact of the introduction of new nuclear technology on industry and society’s techno-economic strategies. The centre is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency. Contact Coordinator Ane Håkansson

Article:Centre of competence in nuclear technology poised for launch

Competence centre Solar Energy Research Centre Sweden (SOLVE)

The SOLVE solar energy research centre is a new part of the Swedish Energy Agency’s investments between 2022 and 2026 into centres of excellence for sustainable energy systems and is coordinated from Uppsala University.

SOLVE is a strategic partnership between Sweden’s excellent research base within solar energy and a broad and committed group of actors in the public and private sector. The centre’s shared vision is more widespread use of solar energy in Sweden through smart and well thought-out integration in cities, on land and in the energy system, to contribute to the sustainability goals. The centre also intends to offer a clear role for Swedish companies in the expansion of solar energy both in Sweden and internationally. The centre is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency. Contact Coordinator Marika Edhoff

Article:Uppsala University integrating into solar energy research

EuroCC National Competence Centre Sweden (ENCCS)

The centre is a joint initiative between the ten largest Swedish universities and the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE). It is one of 33 national competence centres across Europe, aiming to provide training and support for users of EU’s supercomputers. The goal is to bring together the skills required to use the cross-border European network of high performance computing systems. The centre is funded by the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU), the Swedish Research Council, and Vinnova. Contact Director Lilit Axner

EuroCC National Competence Center Sweden (ENCCS) website

Swedish Drug Delivery Centre (SweDeliver)

SweDeliver is a world-leading research centre focusing on new strategies for parenteral, oral and pulmonary drug delivery. The centre is funded by Vinnova. Contact Project manager Christel Bergström

Swedish Drug Delivery Centre (SweDeliver) website

Strategic Research Areas

In 2009, the Swedish government decided to fund a number of strategic research areas. The decision was part of an initiative to create research of the highest international quality that stemmed from a recommendation by the Swedish Research Council, Fas, Formas, VINNOVA and the Swedish Energy Agency. Uppsala University participates in half of the 20 designated strategic research areas, seven of them in a coordinating role:

Cancer – U-CAN

Cancer – The research programme U-CAN collects standardised data, tumour and blood samples and biomolecules from cancer patients before, during and after therapy. The material is used to develop methods and drugs for diagnosis and treatment of tumours.

The research programme U-CAN – Supports translational cancer research in order to improve diagnosis, treatment and ultimately outcome

STandUP – Stand Upp for Energy

Energy – Stand Up for Energy (STandUP) focuses on long-term sustainable energy supply, one of the greatest global challenges in the next decades. The groups within STandUP envision a future society that is provided with renewable, highly reliable and cost-efficient energy for all its residential, commercial, transportation and industrial needs.

The research programme Stand Up for Energy (STandUP) – Sustainable technologies that benefit society and that can be readily implemented in industry

E-science – eSSENCE

E-science – eSSENCE is a collaborative research programme in e-science. eSSENCE strives to create a research environment that enables strong interplay between e-science research, e-infrastructures, e-education, industry and society.

The research programme eSSENCE – e-science research, e-infrastructures, e-education

SciLifeLab – Science for Life Laboratory

Molecular bioscience – Uppsala University houses the SciLifeLab, an internationally leading centre that develops, uses and provides access to advanced technologies for molecular biosciences with focus on health and environment.

The research centre SciLifeLab - National centre for molecular life science research

Health care research – U-CARE

Health care research – The research programme U-CARE studies how people suffering from physical illnesses are affected psychosocially, and what kind of help they and their families need to deal with various emotional and mental health problems that may arise. New knowledge gained within this area is used to develop psychosocial and psychological self-help programmes for these problems.

The research programme U-CARE – Develops psychosocial and psychological self-help programmes for people suffering from physical illnesses

IRES – Institute for Russian and Eurasian Studies

Politically important geographical regions – the Institute for Russia and Eurasian Studies (IRES) conducts research with an in-depth focus on recent developments in Russia, and in the post-Soviet space. IRES is designed to meet the highest international standards of scientific excellence and spans across the humanities and the social sciences, as well as law and theology.

The Institute for Russian and Eurasian Studies (IRES) – Conducts research with an in-depth focus on recent developments in Russia, and in the post-Soviet space

CNDS – Centre for Natural Disaster Science

Disaster and crisis management – the Centre for Natural Disaster Science (CNDS) contributes to improving the ability to prevent and deal with risks in society, both nationally and internationally, by raising awareness of the dynamics and consequences of natural hazards, considering the issue of vulnerability in Sweden, as well as discussing crisis management.

The Centre of Natural Hazards and Disaster Science (CNDS) – The overall aim is to contribute to enhancing society’s ability to prevent and cope with natural hazard risks

Uppsala University also participates in three additional strategic research areas coordinated by Lund University

Diabetes: EXODIAB – joint strategic research initiative in the diabetes area
Epidemiology: EpiHealth – A research programme aiming to further develop and implement new scientific tools to achieve an improved control of chronic diseases of major concern
Stem cells and regenerative medicine: StemTherapy – The StemTherapy environment includes 36 stem cell centre research groups at Lund University, as well as four research groups at Uppsala University.

Linnaeus environments

Uppsala University also houses four strong environments supported by long-term government backing, through the so-called Linnaeus grants:

KIC – Knowledge and Innovation Communities och European Institute of Innovation and Technology

Uppsala University is part of the European KIC InnoEnergy consortium since 2010 together with KTH. In 2014, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) chose to back two new consortiums focusing on innovation in the areas of health and materials, consortiums which Uppsala University are part of: EIT Health promotes entrepreneurship and develops innovations in healthy living and active ageing. EIT Raw Materials deals with issues of raw materials, for instance sustainable exploration, extraction, and recycling.

Research centres at Uppsala University

Uppsala University builds strategic research centres with a multi-disciplinary, holistic approach. Several of them offer both internal and external core facilities.

Research centres at the three Disciplinary Domains at Uppsala University

Examples of multidisciplinary centres at Uppsala University

Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program – Humanities and Society (WASP-HS)

Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program - Humanities and Society (WASP-HS) is a research program focusing on the challenges and opportunities that future technological changes bring. The research projects within WASP-HS will contribute to the development of theory and practice of human and societal aspects of AI and autonomous systems. The particular focus is on ethical, economic, labor market, social and legal aspects of the technology shift.