Three research subjects at the Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, get a part of a vigorous research investment initiated by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. This applies to Atmospheric Science, Onboard Space Systems and Dependable Communication and Computing.
– This is a very important investment, says Jonas Ekman, head of the Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering.
– These are three successful research groups that put Luleå University of Technology – and Sweden – at the cutting edge of their fields. The department’s long-term strategic investments in building more very strong scientific research groups are now bearing fruit.
Recruit young researchers
The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten, the Kempe Foundations and Luleå University of Technology are jointly investing SEK 100 million to strengthen the recruitment of young graduate students and researchers to the university. The project will run over a five year period and focuses on capacity-building in Space Science, but also neighboring areas of research in physics.
– That we are a part of this investment demonstrates the great width of the department’s research groups. We have many prestigious European and national projects with exciting technology research. Now we complement with this type of grant for “projects of very high scientific potential,” says Jonas Ekman.
Research on space and computer science
The research group in Onboard Space Systems in Kiruna, led by chaired Professor Reza Emami, will use the donation for developing a new field of space technology, namely Asteroid Engineering.
– The generous donation by the Wallenberg Foundation will pave the road toward a new field of space technology. The new field studies systems and missions designed and developed for accessing and manipulating asteroids for science and engineering explorations as well as extracting and utilizing their resources, Reza Emami explains.
For the research group in Atmospheric Science, led by chaired Professor Javier Martín-Torres, the investment will help to increase their exoplanet research, ie research on planets outside our own solar system.
Finally, the research group in Dependable Communication and Computing, led by chaired Professor Valeriy Vyatkin, will continue to develop their research on Computer Science and artificial intelligence, and what they call “growing software”, Growing Cyber-Physical Systems.
– For us it’s a possibility to explore some of our interesting ideas. It’s a logical step to hire more PhD students in order to maintain continuity, says Valeriy Vyatkin.
