When the Swedish Minister of Education, Johan Persson, visited KTH on 30 October, Dig-IT Lab was one of the presenters showcasing KTH’s energy research and the current challenges in the field, including those related to future digitalised buildings. The event took place in the large Reactor Hall at Campus Valhallavägen.
In his presentation, Dig-IT Lab Director Jonas Anund Vogel remarked that while new technology is effective, it does not reach the market as quickly as necessary. He emphasised that the need for new skills:
“We know that carpenters, plumbers, and electricians are needed to build a house, but not everyone understands that it takes just as many skilled professionals to build and operate the digital aspects of society. We need expertise in cyber defence, system architecture, data storage, and user interfaces—all equally diverse yet as vital as builders and carpenters.”
Jonas Anund Vogel concluded by highlighting that digitalisation requires collaboration both between systems and among people, and that Dig-IT Lab is a place where academia and industry work together to tackle challenges.
“We must align higher vocational education and industry initiatives so that relevant groups gain the knowledge needed to specify requirements, install, and operate new technology,” he said. “Moreover, we need to disseminate knowledge more quickly to achieve our shared goals.”
Other topics at the event included the decarbonisation of heavy industry, carbon dioxide removal, large-scale production of batteries, future nuclear energy, and high-temperature heat pumps.
Photos: Christophe Duwig