Network grant for planning future excellence clusters
The Swedish Research Council has decided on the applications to be awarded network grant for planning future excellence clusters for groundbreaking technologies. Of the 40 networks approved, four are at The Faculty of Engineering, Lund University.
Jessika Sellergren – Publicerad den 1 October 2025
The purpose of the grant is to enable a constellation of researchers to plan for a future application for funding aimed at establishing clusters of excellence in ground breaking technologies, with a focus on future technological areas.
The applications cover many different research areas, such as medical biotechnology, electrical engineering and electronics, condensed matter physics, materials chemistry, neuroscience, and nanotechnology life sciences and medicine.
Of 191 applications from 17 universities and institutes, 40 networks were granted funding. Eight of these are from Lund University, four of which belong to LTH.
“A successful outcome,” says Margaret McNamee, Deputy Dean at LTH with a responsibility for research and infrastructure, and continues:
“The funding shows that we are in a leading position in several important areas for the future. Through these initiatives, we are well positioned to influence future Swedish research priorities.”
LTH's approved networks are:
- Christer Fureby, professor in Heat Transfer at the Department of Energy Sciences:
Hypersonic systems for groundbreaking excellence and research exchange - Martin Leijnse, professor in Solid State Physics at the Department of Physics:
Quantum sensing, metrology, and control - Lars-Erik Wernersson, professor in Electromagnetics and Nanoelectronics at Department of Electrical and Information Technology:
Advanced Semiconductors: Innovation, Testing, and Value Chains - Karl Åström, professor in Computer Vision and Machine Learning at Mathematics:
Swedish Excellence Cluster for Spatial AI and Positioning, Computer Vision, and Learning Systems
Each network will receive SEK 1.2 million to produce a detailed report over a six-month period on the future cluster of excellence it wishes to run. The report must contain an analysis of the research area, a strategy for collaboration, and an assessment of the technology's long-term impact on society, including security policy aspects. The report must be submitted to the Swedish Research Council by March 2026 at the latest.
Christer Fureby, who is responsible for one of the networks, says:
"Hypersonic systems are important for the future of Swedish and European aviation and space travel. Fast, safe, and less environmentally damaging are the keywords. With this network grant, we will lay the foundation for groundbreaking interdisciplinary research and knowledge in collaboration with Sweden's leading researchers and industries in aviation and propulsion systems. The results within a future cluster of excellence will strengthen Sweden's civil society and defense capabilities and have an impact on several scientific fields.