Collaborative Research

Nature can help us find new ways to address societal challenges caused by urbanization, climate change, and declining biodiversity. A collaboration between researchers from Jönköping University (JU), preschools, schools, housing companies, contractors, and Keep Sweden Tidy shows that collaboration, combined with research and innovation, can solve multiple societal challenges at the same time.

To solve complex societal challenges such as waste management and energy needs, we need both new partnerships and new ideas. June Avfall och Miljö, Upptech, and Jönköping University invited elementary and high schools in Jönköping County to participate in a recycling center safari and a solar car race. Through a “safari” at recycling centers, children and young people get to search for “the big five”—five types of waste that are particularly hazardous and difficult to manage.

The Hagagruppen in Bottnaryd is no ordinary wholesale company. It is a for-profit business that sells sofas and armchairs, but it is also driven by values other than financial profitability. Entrepreneurship has become a way to make a difference in society, which piqued the curiosity of sustainability researcher Duncan Levinsohn at Jönköping University.

An increasing number of people and marginalized groups in society are suffering from lifestyle-related diseases. Researcher Margareta Rämgård, at Malmö University, has worked with a range of stakeholders and the residents of Lindängen to develop a successful method for promoting better health.

According to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention’s national safety survey, feelings of insecurity and concern about crime in society are on the rise. Women are the most concerned, but the greatest increase in concern is among young men. Insecurity and crime cause great suffering and cost society enormous sums of money every year. Researcher Henrik Andershed at Örebro University has developed a method and a digital tool to streamline crime prevention and safety promotion efforts.

Many older adults in Sweden suffer from involuntary loneliness—a condition that can be just as dangerous as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. Researcher Ingeborg Nilsson at Umeå University, in collaboration with Husläkarna Health Center and the City of Umeå, is investigating whether social activity prescribed by a doctor can help reduce this problem.

Researchers at Jönköping University, commissioned by the Public Health Agency of Sweden, have studied the Jönköping model for suicide prevention, in which the emergency services play a crucial role. The findings show that this approach can be life-saving and strengthen local and regional suicide prevention efforts in several ways.

Raw materials from the food industry need to be utilized in a more efficient and environmentally sustainable manner. In the fishing industry, the whole fish is rarely utilized, and only a few fish species are used for human consumption. Researchers at Luleå University of Technology have therefore launched a project aimed at developing an economically sustainable business model that contributes to the circular economy within the food industry.

Neither children nor adults in Sweden have a sufficient understanding of children’s rights. We need to get better at including children and talking to them about issues that affect them. Otherwise, there is a risk that significant efforts will be made on initiatives or measures that we adults believe are in the best interests of children but that do not benefit the individual child. Frida Lygnegård works as a researcher at Jönköping University and conducts research on children’s rights and participation.

To meet the significant demand for labor in northern Sweden, more people need to choose to move here. Researchers at Luleå University of Technology, in collaboration with residents of the village of Vuollerim in the municipality of Jokkmokk, have designed a digital service that matches people with the right village to settle in based on their needs. The digital platform is currently under development and is intended to make it easier for people to move to rural areas.