The 2025 Nordea Scientific Prize goes to Xiaoyan Ji

Xiaoyan Ji, Professor of Energy Engineering at Luleå University of Technology, has been awarded the 2025 Nordea Scientific Prize.

“I am deeply honored to receive Nordea’s Scientific Prize. I would like to thank Nordea for this recognition and support, and Luleå University of Technology, especially, the subject of Energy Engineering, for providing an inspiring environment that enables high-quality research and collaboration. This award is also a recognition of the dedicated efforts of my research group in the field of ionic liquids. I am truly grateful for their commitment and teamwork over the years, says Xiaoyan Ji.

Researchers who contribute to growth and development

The Nordea Scientific Prize was established in 2006 by Nordea Norrland Foundation and is awarded annually to researchers at Luleå University of Technology who have made outstanding contributions that promote scientific research and development. The prize amount is SEK 100,000.

“Through her research, Professor Xiaoyan Ji contributes new knowledge that paves the way for future sustainable energy systems, highly relevant for the continued transformation of industry and for society at large. Nordea views the prize as a way to highlight research that strengthens societal development and a sustainable economy. It is therefore a great pleasure to award Nordea’s Scientific Prize to Xiaoyan, and I look forward to following her continued research,” says Jenny Olsson, Branch Manager at Nordea in Luleå.

The Award Committee consists of the Branch Manager at Nordea in Luleå, who also is the Chair of the committee, and the Vice Chancellor, the Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology and the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Luleå University of Technology.

The award statement for the winner of the year, Xiaoyan Ji, reads:

“Professor Xiaoyan Ji is a distinguished researcher in energy engineering at the Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics. She has established an internationally recognised research group specialising in ionic liquids, including deep eutectic solvents, for energy applications. The long-term goal of the research is to understand, simulate, and evaluate ionic liquids/deep eutectic solvents for various applications, such as gas separation and conversion, batteries, and electrochemical conversion. Ji’s work in modelling ionic liquids/deep eutectic solvents to understand and optimise their efficiency in energy applications is at the forefront of international research. Her newly established field within battery research shows great potential for further expansion in the coming years. The results have attracted international attention and have been published in high-ranking scientific journals such as Advanced Materials and Nano-Micro Letters. Xiaoyan’s research represents a clear advancement of the scientific frontier and contributes new knowledge that paves the way for future sustainable energy systems.

Professor Ji leads a research group consisting of internal and external PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, an adjunct professor, and a visiting professor. The group conducts successful research in collaboration with renowned scientists at universities in Sweden, Finland, Europe, America, and Asia, as well as with several industrial partners.

Professor Ji has an extensive scientific output and, as principal investigator and project leader, has secured major external research funding from, among others, the EU Framework Programme, the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Energy Agency, and Vinnova. She is the scientific lead and project manager of the European research project EPOCH, which aims to develop a new process for hydrogen production.

Professor Ji works in a field with significant potential for expansion in the coming years and which will be important for the future sustainable economy. All in all, Professor Xiaoyan Ji is a worthy recipient of Nordea’s Scientific Prize.”