Research and industry came together for sustainable heat management

For two days in early November, researchers, doctoral students and industry partners gathered at Luleå University of Technology for the AdTherM Research Days 2025. The event highlighted current research and new solutions for efficient heat transfer and thermal management.

AdTherM Research Days is an annual forum within the AdTherM competence center, where academia and industry meet to exchange experiences and present results. This year's edition offered a broad program with presentations from KTH, Lund University of Technology and Luleå University of Technology, as well as industry partners such as Stegra, Tetra Pak and Alfa Laval.

"This is an opportunity to meet across borders, to discuss challenges and see how research is developed in close collaboration with industry. These meetings create a common understanding of where we are going," says Anna-Lena Ljung, associate professor of fluid mechanics at Luleå University of Technology.

Anna-Lena Ljung, associate professor of fluid mechanics at Luleå University of Technology.

Collaboration that drives development

AdTherM is a national competence centre focusing on advanced thermal management, from cooling of electronics to energy-efficient solutions in the process industry. This year's meeting presented everything from artificial intelligence in experimental fluid mechanics to new methods for heat recovery and energy optimization in the food industry.

"Our business partners are involved in formulating research questions, actively participating in projects and contributing both experience and applications. This allows us to work towards simpler solutions that can be used in industry," says Anna-Lena Ljung.

In addition to research presentations, invited lectures were held on the green transition of industry. Malin Larsson, CEO of Luleå Energi, described the company's journey towards sustainable energy systems, and Mattias Vesterlund from RISE shared experiences on thermal management in data centers, an area with rapidly growing energy needs.

Margareta Groth, Head of Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics, welcomed the participants.

New ideas and future projects

The AdTherM Research Days serve as a platform for exchanging ideas and developing future collaborations. During the closing workshop, the next steps for the research were discussed and how the results can contribute to industrial competitiveness and reduced climate impact.

"Our hope is that the participants leave with new perspectives, inspiration and perhaps also ideas for future projects. It is in the dialog between researchers and companies that new collaborations are born," says Anna-Lena Ljung.

After the event, the work within AdTherM's joint project will continue, where ideas from this year's AdTherM Research Days will be taken further.

"We will take the input that comes up during the days to develop existing projects and form new collaborations. At the same time, we continue to work to disseminate the results to a wider audience and contribute to sustainable solutions for efficient heat management in industry," says Anna-Lena Ljung.

• AdTherM
• Fluid mechanics