Anna Jerbrant on the relocation of KTH Södertälje

What are the most concrete plans you have developed for Södertälje?

"We have formed a project group with representatives from the department, operational support, students and those responsible for the various programmes. Together we have formulated a first version of the project plan that will be developed together with, among others, the safety representatives, so that we can then begin implementation."

What changes can employees expect already in 2024?

"Until HT24, the newly admitted students on our Master's degree programme in Industrial Technology and Sustainability will be taught exclusively at KTH Campus. This means that staff from the IPU department will have classes both at Valhallavägen and in Södertälje."

Will staff be moved already in 2024?

"No, no employees will have to change their place of work in 2024. However, since newly admitted students on our master's degree programme in Industrial Technology and Sustainability will be taught at KTH Campus from this autumn, more employees at the Department of Production Development will have the opportunity to use flexible workplaces at both KTH Campus and Södertälje campus to facilitate their commute."

Have you identified any problem areas that may be particularly difficult to manage?

"We have started the risk analysis and it is important that it is completed with as much involvement as possible and that we design good action plans. Some things we have seen so far:

Many of the courses are frequently taught by people from Scania and AstraZeneca, companies based in Södertälje. There is a risk that moving the teaching to KTH Campus will affect this in a negative way.

Access to experimental environments risks changing if the programmes in Södertälje are moved to Valhallavägen. There is a great risk that the amount of applied teaching will decrease.

Students appreciate that Södertälje has many different types of study spaces, such as group rooms, individual rooms and open study areas. There is always room and it is quiet. At KTH Campus, these opportunities risk disappearing because students here feel that there is already a shortage of study spaces."

How will the relocation of labs be carried out?

"First, we will review how the need for lab environments on KTH Campus is affected by the programmes that are moved there. Which labs need to be newly established? Which lab environments can be co-organised with established labs? Then we will make an initial timetable of when the physical relocation can and should take place."

How has the dialogue with staff and students been since the decision was made last September?

"The dialogue has been good and extensive, but it is a challenge to communicate the goals and objectives of a development project with all important stakeholders in parallel with their development and formulation. It has been most difficult to succeed in talking to all students who are admitted to the affected programmes, and at the same time be able to answer all the different questions and concerns they have."

Now that the move is becoming more concrete, how will you continue to work with involvement and engagement?

"We will focus on strengthening our communication even more, both in writing and orally, to affected staff and students."

What parts of the planning remain?

"We continue to work on the current situation analysis, the risk analysis and the stakeholder analysis. In addition, a sub-project manager must be appointed to coordinate the change needs on the property side."

How does it feel to be the project manager for one of KTH's largest relocation projects?

"Management and control of projects has always been a source of fascination for me, and a significant part of both my research and teaching over the years. Therefore, it is particularly exciting to now have the chance to explore and apply all the methods I have spent so much time understanding and communicating to others."

Text: Jenni Hollbrink