MEET IN Karlstad 1

A MAGAZINE FROM KARLSTAD UNIVERSITY AND VISIT KARLSTAD

Hello there

International conference on geomedia PAGE 9

World-leading research PAGE 13

”We study the increasingly mobile and medialized world,” says Linda Ryan Bengtsson, senior lecturer and programme coordinator in media and communication studies.

59°23’N 13°32’E

Anders Hedin, head conference organizer of Mathematics Biennial PAGE 17

KARLSTAD IS CENTRALLY located in Sweden on the northern shore of Lake Vänern and on the Stockholm-Oslo railway line with Gothenburg to the south. Karlstad, part of Värmland county, has a population of nearly 90,000 and is one of Sweden’s most pub- and restaurant-dense cities. The city is mostly known for “The Sun in Karlstad” – a waitress by the name of Eva Lisa Holtz, who owned a restaurant in the old Karlstad. She was renowned for her extremely sunny disposition and even today people re-fer to “the Sun” when they talk about Karlstad. Today, she is commemorated with a statue, which stands outside the Elite Stadshotellet.

APART FROM THE proximity to Lake Vänern, water is always present in Karlstad. The Klarälven river, with its eight forks flowing into Lake Vänern, gives the city its special character. In the summer season the waterways are trafficked by boats serving as a public transport at the cost of a regular bus

ticket. Lake Vänern with its 22,000 islands is one of northern Europe’s largest lakes and a popular attraction in the summertime.

KARLSTAD HOSTS MANY large events and conferences each year. In February each year, the FIA World Champions-hip Rally is arranged in Karlstad and Värmland. In recent years Karlstad has also become one of the most popular conference destinations in Scandi-navia with its central geographical

location, good transportation links and large venue and accommodation capacity. In the city centre you can find the newly built Karlstad Congress

Culture Centre, one of the largest and most modern convention venues in Scandinavia. Also, Karlstad University with its 16 000 students, excellent research and unique meeting spaces contributes to the attraction of Karlstad a meeting destination.

Welcome to Karlstad

SWEDEN

StockholmKarlstad

Gothenburg

Malmö

OsloNORWAY

Karlstad offers fantastic opportunities as a meeting-place. We hope that unique conference facilities, large hotel capacity, great transport links and a welcoming attitude will make you choose Karlstad for your next event.

MATTIAS NORD, MD, VISIT KARLSTAD

The general impression and the environment contribute as much to the successful meeting as the actual content. In Karlstad you will find an esthetically attractive environment in perfect facilities combined with friendly and efficient service – essential conditions for rewarding meetings and discussion between people.

ÅSA BERGENHEIM, VICE-CHANCELLOR, KARLSTAD UNIVERSITY

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Contents

Karlstad and VärmlandKARLSTAD, THE PROVINCIAL capital of Värmland in Sweden, lies on the delta where the river Klarälven flows into Lake Vänern, the third largest lake in Europe. The region has world-class industries in pulp and paper, steel and ICT.

SPORT IS AN important factor in Karl-stad, with the elite ice-hockey team Färjestad, the Rally Sweden, Olympic medal winners in athletics and World Champion curling teams. Culturally, the city provides concerts with world artists and musical and opera perfor-mances. Then it comes to shopping and entertainment, Karlstad has a great deal to offer with city shopping and spacious malls.

VÄRMLAND IS KNOWN for its beautiful landscapes and proud cultural tradi-tions, with many writers, such as the Nobel-prize winner Selma Lagerlöf. Värmland is also known for its in-ventors, notably John Ericsson, who contributed to the invention of the propeller, and more contemporary ce-lebrities, for example, the painter Lars Lerin. There are also plenty of oppor-tunities for outdoor activities, such as fishing, hiking and hunting, swimming and sailing, and of course skiing both downhill and cross-country MEET IN KARLSTAD is produced by Karlstad University and Visit Karlstad l Photo credit unless otherwise specified:

Karlstad University, Visit Karlstad and Karlstad municipality l Print & layout: University Printing Office, Karlstad, 2015 Paper: Artic Gloss 200g and Tom&Otto Silk 150g

Welcome to Karlstad 2Entertainment and culture 4Karlstad University 6-8International conference on geomedia 9Karlstad Congress Culture Centre 10Conference services 12World-leading research 13Hotels in Karlstad 14Transportation 16The clusters of Värmland 17Hello there Anders Hedin 17Service Convention Sweden 18DigIT Värmland 18

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BUSINESS AND PLEASURE is easily com-bined in Karlstad. When there is time for recreation, in a conference break for instance, Karlstad has a lot to offer. Everything is within easy reach - sports, culture, nature, and shopping. If you prefer sports activities, we can

recommend a visit to the trotting course or Löfbergs Arena and a match with Färjestad, our hockey team which has won the national championships more often than any other team in Sweden. Early in July each year, Karl-stad arranges a popular music festival,

Putte i Parken, which takes place in the city park – Mariebergsskogen. The park, one of the most frequented places in Sweden, is open to visitors every day year round and has a play-garden, an animal park, the nature in-formation centre Naturum Värmland and the biggest open-air theatre under roof in Sweden.

THERE ARE NO less than 70 restaurants in Karlstad with menues from all corners of the world as well as a few establishments specialising in the re-

Entertainment and culture

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gional cuisine of Värmland, a golden opportunity to try some “hackkorv” or “kolbullar”. Enthusiastic shoppers will enjoy the Bergvik and Välsviken shopping centers with over 70 stores and free parking. The Mitticity and Mercurius shopping malls in the city centre has everything to offer, and a stroll in the nearby Haga district with its unique shops is recommended.

THE WERMLAND OPERA and the Värm-land Museum are centrally located in the city, along with the Scala Theatre,

which has produced many musicals and plays over the years, and the popular Värmland Theatre. Close to the museum at Sandgrundsudden you will find the well-known artist Lars Lerin’s art gallery. A ten-minute drive from the city centre you can find the Alster Manor, the birthplace of poet Gustaf Fröding, surrounded by a beau-tiful park.

1. PUTTE I PARKEN 2. NILS LANDGREN 3. INRE HAMN RESTAURANT 4. WERMLAND OPERA, ONE OF ONLY SIX OPERA ESTABLISHMENTS IN SWEDEN 5. CONCERT HALL AT KARLSTAD CCC.

Nils Landgren is a prominent representative of the music tradition of Värmland and an example of the way in which the Ingesund School of Music nurtures the musician in their music teacher education. With the world as his musical stage, Nils Landgren qualifies as one of the greatest Swedish jazz musicians and musical performers.

Nils Landgren

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Always sunnySINCE THE 18TH century, Karlstad has been associated with the sun thanks to a woman by the name of Eva-Lisa Holtz. She was a friendly, cheerful waitress whose sunny disposition and warm greeting earned her the nickname ‘Sola (‘the Sun’) in Karlstad’ far and wide. She was enterprising and ambitious, eventually opened her own restaurant and became a highly respected lady in the city. Today, Herman Reijer’s statue of Sola stands in one of the most picturesque places in Karlstad, outside Elit Stadshotellet, near the Klarälven river.

SOLA, ALONG with the smiling sun designed by Lasse Sandberg which Karlstad Municipality uses as a logo, has firmly esta-blished Karlstad as Sweden’s sunny city.

Sunny dispositionTHANKS TO THE city’s location on Lake Vä-nern, the sun actually does shine a little more often here. Karlstad is very often among the top ten locations in Sweden for the number of hours of sun.

BUT THE SUN in Karlstad doesn’t mainly refer to the one in the sky – it’s our sunny disposition, our legacy from Sola. So even if the sun should ever be covered by clouds, you’ll still feel the warmth from the people you meet.

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TEXT: VISITKARLSTAD.SE

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Karlstad UniversityKARLSTAD UNIVERSITY IS one of the youngest universities in Sweden with around 16 000 students and 1 200 faculty and staff members in a uniquely inspiring university environment. Karlstad University contributes to international, regional and individual knowledge developme-nt. Through openness, innovative thinking and multidisciplinarity, the university has already achieved high quality academic recognition. Education and research take place in close dia-logue with external partners and public agencies.

KARLSTAD UNIVERSITY HAS eight strategic rese-arch areas: Service Research Centre, Digicom, Health, Cultural Studies, Science of Education, Gender Studies, Technology and Science, Socie-ty construction and Regional development.

THE CAMPUS SURROUNDINGS are characterised by the natural landscape, the proximity of woods and the view of Lake Vänern, and yet the city centre is only a ten-minute bus ride away. Karlstad University has an open space design to encourage meetings and offers one of the most inspiring lear-ning environments in the country. The architectu-re and furnishing are modelled on the Värmland landscape with art and decor that stimulate the imagination and give renewed inspiration.

AULA MAGNAAula Magna is our biggest and most beautiful hall. It is furnished in sober Scandinavian design and can hold nearly 600 people. The stage area is 104 square metres and the hall is equipped with state of the art theatre lighting, sound system with hearing loop and LCD-projector. We offer full technical support by our own technicians. The hall is excellently suited for conferences, concerts, theatre and dance performances.

THE LAGERLÖF HALLIt holds 240 people in theatre seating

(non-movable chairs) and fully equipped with video, DVD, LCD, CD, sound mixer, microphone, document camera, net login, automatic control with cursor and a hearing loop. There are six wheel-chair spaces for functionally challenged people.

THE VÄNERN BUILDINGThe award-winning Vänern Building provides flexible and exciting pos-sibilities for meetings, conferences, workshops and business and social mingling. The Ljungberg Hall, with a capacity of 100 people, is an egg-shap-ed multimedia studio suspended from the ceil-ing. The pedagogical workshop is a flexible space for conferences, exhibitions and workshops. There is room for 120 people seated at tables and 250 in theatre seating.

THE GEIJER HALLThe Geijer Hall (200 seats) in building 12 (ground floor) is equipped with video, OH, DVD, LCD, cassette deck and sound mixer, microphone, net-login, headmike, automatic control with cursor and a hearing loop. The loca-tion is fairly secluded and outside the hall there is an open space suitable for mingling and refres-hments. On the floor above, there is a spacious, light and airy space for nearly 200 lunch guests.

MINGLING SPACEKarlstad University is generously designed for creative meetings, exhibitions and mingling. Outside Aula Magna there is, for instance, ample space for receptions, registration, distribu-tion of conference material, and refreshments. Not far from Aula Magna is Transformum - a big space for exhibitions, catering, or mingling. And the Vänern Building has a cafeteria and space for serving meals to around 150 seated people outside the Ljungberg Hall.

Students

Around

A university since

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DOCTORAL EDUCATIONKarlstad University was inaugurated in 1999 and authorised to offer doctoral level courses and programmes. Since then, nearly 750 persons have been admitted to a doctoral programme at the university. In 2014, 41 doctoral and 10 licentiate degrees were awarded, which is an increase of 65 % compared to 2013.

KARLSTAD UNIVERSITY FACTS AND FIGURES

7 200 APPLICANTS

MANY FIRST CHOICE APPLICANTS

Nearly 7 200 applicants for the spring

and autumn terms respectively had

a Karlstad University programme as

their first choice, breaking the record

for the fifth consecutive year.

STUDENTS 16 000STAFF 1 200PROGRAMMES 70COURSES 900TURNOVER 1 000 MSEK/YEAR

1843 Teacher Training College

1907 Nursing College

1967 Branch of University of Gothenburg

1977 University College of Karlstad

1999 Karlstad University

2002 Ingesund School of Music

2009 Karlstad Business School

Facts

History

Karlstad University – facts and history

In 2014, 1 981 degrees were awarded at undergraduate and Master levels, of which 960 were general degrees and 1 021 professional degrees. In the past five-year period, the number of general degrees issued increased the most, in particular Bachelor degrees.

1981 D E G R E E S A W A R D E D

A total of 335 incoming students were registered at Karlstad University in 2014. Outgoing Karlstad students numbered 182 in the same year. Female students are in majority among incoming (58%) as well as outgoing (68%) students.

INTERNATIONAL

STUDENT EXCHANGE

Karlstad University includes the Faculty of Arts and Social

Sciences, the Faculty of Health, Science and Technology, the

Board of Teacher Education and the University Administration

and Central Services. There are 1 200 staff and 16 000 students.

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International conference on geomediaIN THE SPRING of 2015 the first international conference on geomedia took place at Karlstad University. The conference, titled ”Geomedia 2015 – Spaces and Mobilities in Mediatized Worlds,” attracted nearly 100 partici-pants from the whole world.

THE KARLSTAD UNIVERSITY research group Geomedia initiated and organi-sed the conference on a new and exci-ting research field in the intersection of geography and media, film and mobilities studies in conjunction with the Swedish Foundation for Huma-nities and Social Sciences (RJ), Cerut – Centre for Research on Regional Development, Karlstad Municipality and Region Värmland.

”WE STUDY THE increasingly mobile and medialized world,” says Linda

Ryan Bengtsson, senior lecturer and programme coordinator in media and communication studies. ”We cannot see that any other research group has approached such issues in the same way as we are doing. Geomedia is a field that may hold an interest for researchers of many disciplines. We expect this conference to be the start of a recurring biannual international conference at Karlstad University.”

THE REASON FOR the initiative was to exchange knowledge and research ef-forts and to establish an international network. The call for papers was made through e-mail lists for researchers. Because of the prominent keynote speakers, the response was enormous.

”THERE WERE CLOSE to one hundred participants. The topic geomedia was

perceived to be extremely interesting and our guests seemed to enjoy the venue of a small city, such as Karlstad. They were impressed by the easy access to Karlstad and felt welcomed. They appreciated our way of showing them the city and thought that it had everything – a university, museums and even an opera theatre!

THE SOCIAL PROGRAMME included a pre-event at the Alfred Nobel Museum, a boat trip on Lake Vänern, social mingling and a guided tour at the Värmland Museum, dinner at Karlstad CCC, and other activities: in short, added value experience to remember.

The research group Geomedia is

located at the Department of Geo-

graphy, Media and Communication.

“Karlstad University, our research group

and the city of Karlstad enjoyed a great deal of attention during

the four-day conference.”

Mekonnen Tesfahuney, Docent and Senior Lecturer of Human Geography and Head Conference Organizer

Linda Ryan Bengtsson, senior lecturer and programme coordinator in media and communi-cation studies

KARLSTAD CCC OPENED its gates in January 2011 as one of the largest and most modern conference venues in Scandinavia with its 24,000 square me-ters and total capacity of 4500 people. It is a smart and user-friendly building with movable walls allowing for flexible space solutions tailored to each customer’s unique needs. The main congress hall holds more than 1600 seated guests and in addition there are 18 meeting halls with a capacity from 12 to 300 people. All halls offer modern de-sign, technology and AV. Karlstad CCC is located on the beautiful Klarälven river in the city centre of Karlstad with a short walk to the train and coach stations as well as to a majority of the city’s hotels. The whole convention centre is environmentally certified by the Nordic Ecolabel Svanen.

Karlstad Congress Culture Centre

square meters

capacity of

people

KARLSTAD CONVENTION BUREAU coordinates and develops Karlstad as a conference and convention destina-tion and is part of Visit Karlstad AB. From Karlstad Convention Bureau you can get independent guidance on, for instance, suitable meeting venues, accommodation options, activities and experiences – all free of charge. Karlstad Convention Bureau offers customers a one-stop-shop for the confidence, information and inspira-tion needed to arrange an unforgetta-ble conference in Karlstad. Together with more than 50 local partners ranging from hotels, meeting venues, Professional Congress Organisers, transportation companies, restaurants and event organisers, Karlstad Con-vention Bureau guarantees that every customer will get expert service in each respective area.

VÄRMLAND CONTINUES TO be one of three prioritized main regions for the Erik Johan Ljungberg’s education scholarship fund. Karlstad University was granted more than ten million SEK for the period 2015-2017. For several years the foundation has cooperated with Karlstad University on enhancing interest in science and technology. The Children’s University, a series of lectures for children aged 8-12, is one of many activities financed through the fund.

Continued support of the Ljungberg Foundation

Karlstad Convention Bureau

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Karlstad Congress Culture Centre

Restaurant Karl IXRestaurant Karl IX at Karlstad CCC serves mostly ecological and regionally sourced gourmet food. The restaurant, with a fantastic view of the river Klarälven and Sweden’s longest stone-bridge, is certified by the Nordic Ecolabel Svanen and can serve up to 1400 seated guests simultaneously. Outside the restaurant, there is an adjoi-ning 700 square meter jetty, perfect for receptions, lounge parties or dinners during the summer season.

BOTH KARLSTAD UNIVERSITY AND VISIT KARLSTAD AB offer con-ference and project management services. In addition, Karlstad Convention Bureau cooperates with all the major national and international conference service companies (PCOs), should our customer prefer to enlist their services. This means that we have several options to attend to all the services associated with a conference or convention such as participant management, invoicing, budgeting, time planning, project management, construction of website and meeting apps, evaluations and production of printed material.

WHETHER YOU ARE planning for a conference, convention, kick-off or exhibition, Karlstad offers the ideal environment for a successful event – good transportation options to/from the city, some of the best meeting venues in Scandinavia, access to high quality academia, large hotel capacity, varied entertainment and cultural activities, and last but not least a warm and service minded environment.

Karlstad UniversityUniversitetsgatan 2 651 88 Karlstad, Sweden Phone: +46 54 – 700 18 06 E-mail: konferens@kau.sewww.kau.se

Visit Karlstad ABTage Erlandergatan 8 A 652 20 Karlstad, Sweden Phone: +46 54 – 15 71 50 E-mail: info@visitkarlstad.sewww.visitkarlstad.se/konferens

Conference services

Please contact

us today to find out how

we can help making your

next meeting in Karlstad

truly unforgettable! MEET IN Karlstad12

Maria Kull Maria Josteus

Karlstad University Conference and Event Team

Helena Persson

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Excellent research groups

World-leading research CTF, CENTER FOR SERVICE RESEARCH, is one of the most prominent resear-ch centres in the world focusing on services and value-creation through services. CTF, founded in 1986, is a multidisciplinary research centre with 60 researchers and doctoral students in the subjects of business administration, working life science, sociology, sociology of religion, computer science and psychology. The researchers are involved in undergraduate and Master level teaching and in extensive collabo-ration with industry and public organisations.

RESEARCH IS PURSUED in the following areas:• Transformative Service Research,

aiming to improve the well-being of individuals and collectives

• Organising and Working Conditions, with a focus on new organisational models

• Service Innovation, based on user involvement

• Customer Experience, closely associated with the VINN Excel-lence Center SAMOT – Service and Market Oriented Transport Research Group.

COMPUTER SCIENCE AT Karlstad University provides education and research with an emphasis on com-

puter education, privacy and securi-ty, distributed systems and software engineering. In the past 15 years, the department has successfully become established in the European research community, particularly in the fields of networks and commu-nication and IT security.

RECENTLY, THE RESEARCH group has expanded considerably. In 2014, for instance, a new long-term research profile was established, HITS – High Quality Networked Services in a Mobile World, together with six Swedish ICT companies, funded by the KK foundation.

THE RESEARCH GROUP is led by four professors and comprises three re-search areas: DISCO – Distributed Systems and Communications, PriSec – Privacy and Security, and SERG – Software Engineering.

RESEARCH IN COMPUTER science at Karlstad University builds on a strong culture of collaboration and projects. Through cross-border research between the three areas and joint projects with external university and industry partners, computer science contributes to the innovations of tomorrow.

Maria Josteus

Conference participants enjoying lunch at KCCC

Christmas dinner at Karlstad University

Hotels in KarlstadKARLSTAD OFFERS A wide range of hotels and other accommodation options for all budgets and flavours. The city hosts some 20 hotels and hostels offering around 1500 hotel rooms and 3000 beds. All hotels except three are within comfortable walking distance from the city centre and the train and coach stations.

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CENTRALLY LOCATED

CARLSTAD CITY HOSTELJärnvägsgatan 8, 652 35 Karlstad Roms: 24Beds: 56

CLARION COLLECTION HOTEL BILANKarlbergsgatan 3, 652 24 KarlstadRooms: 69Beds: 122

CLARION COLLECTION HOTEL DROTTJärnvägsgatan 1, 652 25 KarlstadRooms: 84Beds: 134 CLARION HOTEL PLAZAVästra Torggatan 2, 652 25 KarlstadRooms: 131Beds: 239

ELITE STADSHOTELLETKungsgatan 22, 652 24 KarlstadRooms: 138Beds: 246

FIRST HOTEL RIVER CTage Erlandergatan 10, 652 20 KarlstadRooms: 49Beds: 89

GOOD MORNING HOTEL KARLSTADVästra Torggatan 20, 652 24 KarlstadRooms: 61Beds: 139

SAVOY HOTEL & BISTROVästra Torggatan 1, 652 25 KarlstadRooms: 63 Beds: 110

SCANDIC KARLSTAD CITYDrottninggatan 4, 652 24 KarlstadRooms: 145Beds: 234

SCANDIC WINNNorra Strandgatan 9, 652 24 KarlstadRooms: 199Beds: 500

SOLSTA HOTELLDrottninggatan 13, 652 25 KarlstadRooms: 20Beds: 32

5 TO 15 MIN TRAVELLING DISTANCE

BEST WESTERN GUSTAF FRÖDING HOTELL & KONFERENSHöjdgatan 3, 654 68 KarlstadRooms: 163Beds: 420

BEST WESTERN HOTEL WÅXNÄSVentilgatan 1A, 653 54 KarlstadRooms: 40Beds: 80

FIRST CAMP KARLSTAD, SKUTBERGETSkutberget, 653 46 KarlstadRooms: 60Beds: 90

KARLSTAD SWECAMP BOMSTADBADENBomstadsvägen 640, 653 46 KarlstadRooms: 38Beds: 160

STF VANDRARHEM KARLSTADKasernhöjden 19, 653 39 KarlstadRooms: 41Beds: 140

SCANDIC KLARÄLVENSandbäcksgatan 6, 653 40 KarlstadRooms: 143Beds: 357

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Karlstad City

KARLSTAD IS CENTRALLY situated in Sweden on the northern shore of Lake Vänern and on the Stockholm-Oslo railway line with Gothenburg to the south. Travelling to Karlstad is easy and can be done by plane, train, coach or car. The travelling time to Karlstad from the three cities res-pectively is 2.20 minutes-3.00 hours by train, coach or car. The distance between Karlstad and Gothenburg is 250 km, between Karlstad and Stock-holm 310 km and between Karlstad and Oslo 230 km.

KARLSTAD AIRPORT PROVIDES regular flights to and from Stockholm Ar-landa, Frankfurt and Alicante. Once on the ground, there is a 20-minute airport coach or taxi journey to the city centre. Taking the train or coach to Karlstad means arriving at the city centre with direct access to board and lodgings. Once you are in Karlstad, most things are within easy reach by foot. If you want to adventure further out, there are Sunbikes to borrow for free at the city square or a local bus to catch. During the June-August period,

the best way to experience Karlstad is by boat at the price of a regular bus ticket. The unique location of Karl-stad on the shore of Lake Vänern and the Klarälven river invites visitors to enjoy the city’s waterways. Whatever the means of transportation chosen, the warmth of people willing to help you find your way will strike you as we strive to nurture the legacy of “the Sun In Karlstad”.

Transportation

To Karlstad from...Oslo Stockholm Göteborg Malmö Information online

166 km 259 km 206 km 421 km

2h 43min 3h 16min 3h 5min 5h 35min

3h 4h 30min 3h - swebus.se nettbuss.se

2h 20min

2h 20min

2h 28 min

5h 14min

sj.se varmlandstrafik.setagkompaniet.se

- 50min + transfer - 2h 50min karlstadairport.se

Distance

Car

Bus

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Air travel

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The clusters of Värmland

The Paper Province is a cluster organisa-tion with the mission to coordinate the cooperation between actors in the paper and pulp industry. The cluster is owned and run by the ninety-odd member companies in Värmland and bordering areas.

Compare is the cluster organisation of the IT and telecom companies based in Värmland.Nearly 100 stake- holders, employing a total of 3000 engineers, are members.

Stål & Verkstad is a non-profit organi- sation with over 80 member companies. Its objective is to contribute to regional growth by supporting the regional steel and engineering industry in the areas of entre- preneurship, busi-ness development, research and deve- lopment as well as human resource planning.

The Packaging Arena is an inno-vation partner in packaging develop-ment projects. It was initiated in 2004 by the paper and pulp industry in Värmland in conjunction with Broby College of Cross Media and Karlstad University. Together, the cluster partners have created an arena for leading innovative packaging development.

Visit Värmland is a resource centre responsible for the marketing, training and coordination of the tourism industry in Värmland.

KARLSTAD MEETS ALL the requirements for business development and establishing business contacts. A number of clusters are key actors for the regional development, for instance, Compare, The Paper Province, Stål & Verkstad, The Packaging Arena and Visit Värmland.

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Anders Hedin Deputy Head of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department at Karlstad UniversityYou’ve picked up a relay baton in the shape of a glass bowl. What’s the story?- Karlstad University has been appointed to host the Mathematics Biennial in 2016 and 2018. The Mathematics Biennial is a conference for mathematics teachers at all levels of education and it typically attracts about 2,500 – 3,000 participants.

Why Karlstad?- The Mathematics Biennial has

been held in Stockholm, Malmö, Göteborg, Sundsvall and Umeå among other places, but never before in Karlstad.

What is the aim of the event? - Among other things, to show the significance and role of mathema-tics and mathematics education in society and school while also providing inspiration and a founda-tion for the further development of Swedish mathematics education at

all levels. Needless to say, it is also a fantastic opportunity for teachers, teacher trainers and researchers to exchange experiences.

What does this mean for Karlstad University?- It is of course a great challenge to host the Mathematics Biennial but at the same time a great honour to have been appointed to do so.

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ON 29 APRIL 2014, computer science at Karlstad University co-organised DigIT Värmland – a broad regional initiative on the digital transition – held at Kalstad CCC, and aimed at all providers and users of digital solutions in industry, the public sector and academia.

THE PROGRAMME INCLUDED some 40 seminars, some 35 exhibiting part-ners and a banquet, at which the best

digital efforts of the past year were awarded prizes.

DIGIT VÄRMLAND IS the first collective effort in the region to discuss the digital transition, organised by the IT foundation Compare in co-operation with Almi Business Partner, the Initiative for the Värmland e-Com-munity, the Värmland Chamber of Commerce, Inova, the Municipality of Karlstad, Karlstad University,

Värmland County Council, Värmland County Administrative Board, The Paper Province, Region Värmland, and Steel and Engineering.

THE AMBITION IS to establish DigIT Värmland as an annual venue for providers and users of digital solutions in industry, the public sector and the university in Värmland. The aim is to get to know all concerned and discuss digital opportunities and

Karlstad University co-organiser of

DigIT Värmland

ON 2-3 DECEMBER 2015, world famous research authorities and leaders from service intense organisations meet to discuss service innovation at Service

Convention Sweden for the second consecutive

year.

WELL-KNOWN AND RESPECTED key note speakers with comprehensive knowledge in service innovation are mixed with seminars and hands-on sessions from various industries. The purpose of Service Convention Sweden is to increase knowledge within the traditional service intense sectors as well as other industries whe-re service is key to success in a rapidly

changing business environment. Participants will be provided

with insights from both public and private sector, as well as the knowledge and tools to work proactively with service innovation on a strategic level.

AT THE 2014 confe-rence, we listened

to Christian Bason from

the Danish

Design Centre, Anders Ekholm from the Institute for Future Studies, Irene Ng from the University of Warwick, Lisa Lindström from Doberman and Experio Lab among others. Also this year’s conference will present an interesting mix of the latest research and stage of the art practical cases, all highlighting service innovation from a wide range of angles. Moderator Jo-hanna Koljonen, known from Swedish tv and radio, will guide us through two intense days where focus lies on how entrepreneurship, user friendliness and customer-centered services generates increased competiveness, more efficient operations and sustainable growth.

SERVICE CONVENTION SWEDEN is arrang-ed by the Service Research Center at the University of Karlstad, the County Council of Värmland, Karlstad Munici-pality and Visit Karlstad AB.

Service Convention Sweden

MEET IN Karlstad 19

challenges for Digital Värmland – a common arena for cooperation on the regional digital agenda.

“DIGIT VÄRMLAND IS about how we – users and providers of digital solutions in companies, municipalities, county councils, universities and other busi-

nesses – are to meet the digital trans-ition.” – Göran Österman, executive manager of Compare, representing more than 100 IT companies in the region.

”DigIT Värmland is an excellent opportunity for the university to make information about our research widely known, to be informed about the projects of other actors, and to make new contacts. The present good cooperation between different actors in the IT field is a tremendous asset to Värmland and DigIT Värmland contributes to further consolidating the cooperation.”

ANNA BRUNSTRÖM, PROFESSOR OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND MEMBER OF HUMAN IT AT KARLSTAD UNIVERSITY

Johanna Koljonen

Why is CTF involved in arranging Service Convention Sweden?Being part of the organizing committee of Service Convention Sweden helps us to put focus on our academic field and present the latest research done by CTF. Värmland and Karlstad has a strong reputation in service design and the conference is a way to make that know to the world. We have several CTF professors presenting at SCS2015.

Why is this conference important?Value creation through service inno-vation is experiencing an increased impact on economic growth and deve-lopment. Today, nearly 80% of the total work force within the public and private sector are employed in service related areas. A vast majority of new jobs are created within various service intense industries. Successful organisations of today require an understanding of servi-ce logic, value creation through service innovation and knowledge about how service systems are created, maintained and managed.

How will attendees of Service Convention Sweden benefit from participating in the conference? Our aim is to provide a mix of eye-ope-ning research with hands-on insights from various organisations in both public and private sector. We want attendees to leave SCS2015 with concrete ideas how to implement or improve existing service design and service logic within their companies and organisations. Services are today created together with customers, rather than being presented to customers, and various service sys-tems are becoming interrelated. Service development and innovation are incre-asingly done by customers themselves. Companies in the production industry are transformed into service companies where focus lies on what value the pro-duct delivers for the customer related to his/her business model. Focus has shifted from services that support the product (warranties, financial support and payment options, spare parts etc) to services that support the customer. We want to provide attendees with the right understanding and the tool box to cope with these challenges.

Henrietta Huzell Director of CTF

PHOTO: BJARKE PEDERSEN

Henrietta explains