Look out for IRIS, she’s on her way

ITM wants to strengthen the research environment at the ITM school, in particular emphasizing cross-department collaboration, paving way for new product and service designs, new materials, new business models, sustainable energy systems, recycling, reuse and remanufacture – all essential elements along the path towards sustainable industry and society.

Why IRIS at the ITM school Martin Törngren vice dean?

• IRIS represents a unique opportunity to proactively establish the ITM school at the forefront in this important area, with an overall focus to transition the manufacturing, energy and transport sectors to a sustainable and climate-gas neutral future. The ITM school is well positioned for this task, and moreover bears an important responsibility since about 10% of all new MSc engineers in Sweden graduate from the ITM School at KTH.

How is this supposed to be carried out?

IRIS involves four areas which already are identified in the ITM development plan and have representatives from all departments through reference groups, area coordinators and overall coordination. 

The area coordinators are now working to provide area descriptions, ”mappings” of the area – describing people and efforts related to each area, and concrete plans for the coming year.

Which are these areas?

The areas are

*Industrial transformation through digitalization, renewable energy and circular economy 

*Integrated mechanics, components and materials design, including additive

manufacturing

*Innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems and infrastructure 

*Sustainable energy systems, infrastructure and business

What’s the time schedule?

- Before summer, coordinators were appointed for each of these areas, and reference groups with representatives from all departments are now nearly finalized. In each area, the work has started to work out specific goals, activities and means within each area; this is done through iterations with ITM management and involving the reference groups. A range of concrete means are being discussed, essentially along the lines of new exciting research, and networking activities, with funding e.g. for postdocs, guest professors, workshops, infrastructure etc.

Note: More information will be communicated soon through the ITM web and at the ITM forthcoming faculty clubs (Oct 11^th and Nov. 11^th). For now – if you have questions, ideas, interests, do not hesitate to contact the ITM vice dean!