Strategy for Operating the Center

Participating in this effort is a group of researchers skilled in materials science, engineering, condensed matter physics, inorganic and organic chemistry, solid-state electronics, nanotechnology, tribology, sensor science & technology, and computations. Their abilities in combination with our world-class laboratory facilities will enable the development of new industrially significant multifunctional nanoscale materials, interfaces, and surfaces with tailored properties. Based on the Mission previously defined, the strategy for operating FunMat contains the following elements:

Opportunities

• We see unsurpassed possibilities for functional materials and relevant nanotechnology. It is reassuring that nanoproducts are here and that the process is both pulled by industry and pushed by the university groups. In fact, materials and processing is more strategic than ever.

Science and Researchers

• Provide an excellent research foundation within the Thin Film area.
• Provide renewal of the Bio-and Chemical sensor area.
• Encourage innovation and excellence in research.
• Establish an active industrial collaboration.
• To further cultivate a goal-oriented approach to collaborative projects (persons & organizations).
• Initiate projects only where there is an embryo or likelihood for value adding down the chain.
• Conduct feasibility tests and concept verification for each project.
• Find new benefits and applications from our new niche area of nanostructured materials with new and unique properties.
• Promote strong strategic and academic leadership amongst partners.

Collaboration with industry

• A network is formed for each research project. It should preferably involve small-to-large companies and one or more university groups with consulting institutes.
• For each project, we identify at least one strong industrial partner with competencies and economical muscles that acts as a driver for results.
• Avoid partnership where there is a strong competition between the parties or the research should be pre-competitive.
• Industrial goals should be clearly defined and have commercial interest.
• The scientists should be open-minded to industrial needs and solutions.
• Make sure that all partners have clear roles, with defined and realistic goals
• Dynamic financing within the project portfolio (pooling and concentration)
• Invite and expect that the companies are active in the planning, steering, and research work as well as in the industrialization of the results.
• Expand our network for contacts between persons within industry and university.
• Work to promote and expand collaboration with other companies to further increase the market share of products based on these new technologies.

Human resource perspective and Competence Development of Staff

• LiU is very active in strategic recruitments, and promoting internal careers. This is viewed as a priority and it is one part of the overall strategy of the university. International collaboration is also a crucial part of LiU and it is integrated within the faculties, departments and individual research group activities. This integration bears at all levels from undergraduate to graduate educations as well as in a major part of the research pursued.
• FunMat trains future generations of leading engineers, researchers, and industrialists. Beside the research and development venture capitalists like Accelerator AB and institutions like Innovationsbron will be engaged in order to form a multidisciplinary environment in the sense of exploitation and marketing of new findings. Hence generating a framework to interact in the broader economic, environmental, and social context in which these activities and products should function.
• FunMat offers research management training to project leaders as arranged by the University and companies specializing in the field.
• The Center will take an active part in managing graduate training in a time when the Swedish educational system is undergoing major transformation as the Bologna charter for a common European system becomes implemented. The applicants have a good track record in organizing undergraduate and graduate programs needed for the future. FunMat will thus provide a platform with added value for its Ph.D. students featuring an environment, which encourage creativity by offering new and inspiring forms of training. The ambition is to increase the contact area with the Swedish industry for activities to improve knowledge and skill in issues related to innovation, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship. There is good synergy with our International Masters program in Materials Science with an enrollment of 30 students yearly. In conclusion, LiU finds it most important that the Center will offer it’s educational program as delivered by the best experts in Sweden for experiment, instrumentation, and theory. Hereby LiU can also take full advantage of its availability of the most advanced research laboratories and equipment resources.
• Rich academic and industrial networks and efficient research training
• Extensive international collaboration with over 50 institutes for exchange.
• We want to provide for an exchange program of post-docs and junior researchers where we utilize out position as a world-leading center and have the possibility to attract top young scientist from all over the world.
• To take advantage of the opportunities given to us to host for longer and shorter period of times visiting scientist through, e.g., EU Marie Curie grants
• Individuals can have dual employments (academia & company).
• Individuals move between jobs in academia and industry.
• High-level research training among industry representatives, most are PhD’s.
• Industry project leaders and managers continue research also within their line careers to become Docents or Adjunct Professors.
• All PhD students have industry mentors and work with contract research.
• Spirit of entrepreneurship among the academics affecting company strategies upon employment or in start-up companies;

Concept for Collaboration: