A world-leading environment for innovation and research is currently growing at Brunnshög in the north-east of Lund. The existing major research infrastructures in the area, MAX IV and ESS, both offer unique world-class opportunities to investigate and analyze materials and molecular matter. But alongside these huge microscopes, an “atomic craft room” is needed.
“It’s one thing to be able to look, but you also need to be able to create these incredibly small structures, atom by atom, to test and refine the technology,” says Anders Mikkelsen, director of the government-funded interdisciplinary strategic research area NanoLund at Lund University.
You must also be able to create these extremely small structures, atom by atom.
The technology involved in nano research includes finding sustainable ways to harvest and store energy, for example through solar cells, efficient energy use in LED lighting and so-called semiconductors in our computer chips, sensors of various kinds, batteries, or new ways to find diseases earlier and enable personalized treatment. All with a safety mindset built in from the start.
The issue of semiconductor components is high up on the political agenda, linked to the European Chips Act – the EU initiative to ensure European access to and production of semiconductor components.
Necessary means to address global challenges
“Nanotechnology and nanoscience are essential to face global challenges and achieve a sustainable world. We are already working on this, but we are bursting at the seams. In order for researchers and industry to work together to solve the problems of the future, we need to be able to offer hands-on training to our students for tomorrow’s business. Integrating research, education, and nanolab activities in Science Village is an ideal way to do this,” says NanoLund's director Anders Mikkelsen.
Nanolab Science Village will provide a laboratory for manufacturing structures and semiconductor components. Together with Lund University’s planned establishment of research and education in the Science Village, this will create an international center for materials science, linking research in physics, chemistry, and biomedicine.
Creating a world-leading environment for research and innovation
In this way, the university is implementing the Swedish government’s vision of creating a world-leading research environment in materials science and life sciences around ESS and MAX IV. Contributing to an innovation environment with active collaboration with companies is also a very important aspect, which also includes open access to the infrastructure for companies.
“These sustainability initiatives are unique in their kind. They involve cutting-edge research in sustainability. The fact that the university is building its own laboratory for nanotechnology together with the activities and development in the environment of the Science Village will be of great importance for the creation of knowledge and research, in Sweden as well as internationally in the future,” says Erik Renström, Vice-Chancellor of Lund University.
And now the hunt is on for a landlord who wants to be involved in the design and construction of the premises together with this innovative and exciting tenant: Lund University is currently launching a procurement to find a host for the approximately 5,700 square meter premises planned for the Nanolab Science Village.