In-depth investigation of a new principal for Electrum
Investment in semiconductor education and research and a new principal. This is a likely future scenario for the Electrum laboratory in Kista. According to a decision by the President of KTH, this arrangement will now be further investigated.
"Electrum will continue to be an infrastructure established by KTH, but by investigating the principle we want to see if there are opportunities to make better use of Electrum's full capacity as a research and innovation environment," says Anders Söderholm, President of KTH.
The background to the decision is an investigation carried out by Stefan Bengtsson, former vice-chancellor of Chalmers, which was completed before the summer. In his conclusion, he pointed out four possible ways for the long-term development of the Electrum Laboratory, of which this is one.
"The scenario includes investment in semiconductors, i.e. KTH will continue to have a strong research commitment nationally and at EU level when it comes to semiconductor technology. This is also a technology area where there are major European ambitions and where Sweden can play an important role. The Electrum laboratory has unique characteristics that are important in this context," Söderholm says.
A change of directorship of this kind has never happened at KTH before, so a thorough study is needed to see how such a process can be implemented.
Helene Rune, Senior Advisor at KTH, has been commissioned to draw up a proposal for a directive for the in-depth and further investigation, including objectives, conditions, scope, resources and actors involved.
According to the President's decision, Beslut Electrum (pdf 95 kB) (in Swedish) the project directive for the investigation will be completed by the end of October.
Text: Jill Klackenberg
Photo: Fredrik Persson