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The collaboration has strengthened ties between academia and the business community and also contributed to the development of the university programme in Sustainable Energy Systems.
The Collaboration Award 2025 for an external partner goes to Håkan Flink for his important role in the collaborative work between Dalarna University and Hitachi Energy.
Internal Collaboration
Hans Ersson and Johan Heier, programme directors; Désirée Kroner, programme lecturer.
What does it mean to be receiving the Dalarna University Collaboration Award?
– It means a great deal to me that this initiative and the work we have put in has been both recognised and appreciated by Dalarna University. It inspires me to continue working with collaboration, says Hans Ersson.
What success factors do you see in the collaboration with Hitachi Energy?
– The key to success in such work has been to have dedicated contacts at Hitachi Energy and a high level of mutual confidence and both parties need to be fully dedicated to the work. We want to express our gratitude to Håkan Flink and Sofia Reyier-Österling who helped us in our contact, Anton Fedorov who was instrumental in many ways and who understands the university’s perspective, Muhammad Almas who has demonstrated true dedication in his teaching, Erik Lysell and Tomas Olsson who really give our students a true sense of what is happening in the real world, Mika Seppänen who contributed through his work with lab sessions and Åke Bohl who shared his experience and inspired work groups and students, says Johan Heier.
What insight have you gained from this collaboration?
– An important insight is that there needs to be understanding in terms of schedules and organisation from both parties, and this involves work at the start. Collaboration requires lots of time and lots of dedication for it to be successful, explains Désirée Kroner.
How has the collaboration with Hitachi Energy affected the development of the programme?
– Hitachi Energy has contributed to the engineering side of things and their experiences from working with the challenges facing industry. Students are now better equipped for professional life and have really developed their specialised skills, says Johan Heier.
What do you think is decisive for long-term successful collaboration between academia and the business community?
– Sound collaboration at a high level within the organisation is crucial. There needs to be understanding and acceptance from management that time and resources are required when it comes to collaboration, says Hans Ersson.
– Start making personal contacts with key figures, says Désirée Kroner.
What do you see as important for future collaboration and the development of the programme?
– We foresee a long-term continuation of our collaboration, which can be closer as we move forward. There are already parts of our collaboration that haven’t reached the next stage, so the first thing to do is work with current structures, says Johan Heier.
Through their dedication and vision, the foundation is set for continued successful collaboration between Dalarna University and Hitachi Energy.
Bachelor’s Programme in Engineering, Sustainable Energy Systems
This programme provides students with the professional competence they need to work with sustainable energy solutions, with a particular focus on renewable energy and energy effectivisation. The programme combines theory with practice in the field of energy technology and energy systems. Students can take the programme on campus or online with obligatory campus meetings at Campus Borlänge.
External Collaboration Award
Håkan Flink, Hitachi Energy
What does it mean to you to receive the Dalarna University Collaboration Award?
– I feel very honoured to be receiving the award as a representative of a large team at Dalarna University and Hitachi Energy, which has resulted in extremely positive collaboration, says Håkan Flink.
How would you describe the importance of collaboration between academia and businesses?
– Collaboration is important as we face the challenges of the future, and the work Hitachi Energy and the university have done together exemplifies how business and academia can work together, says Håkan Flink.
What success factors do you see in the collaboration with Dalarna University?
– We have the opportunity to market ourselves at the university through our involvement in shared activities. The university is working with a large company in the field of green transition, and this generates interest among future students and employees. Both are winners,” says Håkan Flink.
Is there anything you would like to highlight in terms of future work?
– In our work, we have developed contacts at both organisations that will be useful to future success. Not least when problems arise, we’ll have a mutual interest in trying to resolve them,” says Håkan Flink.
Håkan Flink and his team look forward to continued and closer collaboration between Dalarna University and Hitachi Energy, where their collaboration will pave the way towards the sustainable energy solutions of the future.
About Hitachi Energy, Sweden
Hitachi Energy is a global leader in the field of sustainable energy technology, with a focus on transforming energy systems that will enable a low-carbon, sustainable future. It provides innovative solutions for the electrification, automisation and digitalisation of energy networks and works to make the energy system more effective and robust.
More reading: Recipients of the Dalarna University Collaboration Award - Dalarna University
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