Petra Wiklund, Deputy Head at Luleå Miljöresurs, has been appointed Honorary Doctor of Technology at Luleå University of Technology for her long-term collaboration with researchers and her commitment to sustainable water development.
26 November 2025
Honorary doctor awarded for sustainable cooperation in the water sector
With a strong commitment to research and sustainable development, Petra Viklund, Water and Wastewater Manager at Luleå Environmental Resources, has been appointed Honorary Doctor of Technology at Luleå University of Technology. She has worked closely with the university's researchers for a long time and is praised for making Luleå a role model in the collaboration between research and academia.
As Water Manager at Luleå Environmental Resources (Lumire), Petra Viklund has played a key role in building and deepening the collaboration with Luleå University of Technology. With her genuine interest in research and her drive to put knowledge into practice, she has contributed to the development of the water sector. Through the research clusters Stormwater&Sewers and DRIZZLE - center for stormwater management - she works actively with innovation and skills supply.
- "This award is a fantastic surprise and of course an honor. I see it as proof of the strong collaboration we have built together over time. The key for us has been and is the applied water research where we together dare to test new things in our local environments. Our goal is for Luleå to be a circular role model both nationally and internationally, and this award gives us a wonderful push forward, says Petra Viklund.
Research and collaboration in practice
Petra Viklund has played a crucial role in making Luleå University of Technology a hub for research and innovation in water technology. Through close collaboration between research and practice, she has contributed to new solutions being tested directly in local environments. She emphasizes the importance of being brave and innovative even in a traditional sector.
- "It's about daring to test new methods in our own cities. We don't just work with theory, but with solutions that will work in real life," says Viklund.
A circular role model
During her honorary lecture, Petra Viklund talked about how Luleå has grown, from the city's first water pipes in the early 1900s to today's modern and climate-neutral water and sewage system. She showed how courageous decisions and long-term thinking have made Luleå a role model in sustainable water management, and how the communities of the future must be built with a holistic approach to resources, climate and people.
- I am extremely proud to be part of the development that is going on here in Luleå, together with Luleå University of Technology and other partners. We really have something unique here - it is an exciting time, and I look forward to continuing to contribute to building a sustainable future for all of us, says Viklund.
Watch Petra's honorary doctoral lecture
Read more about our research clusters
- Stormwater&Sewers
Stormwater&Sewers develops and disseminates research-based knowledge and builds networks in the areas of stormwater, sewer networks and resource-efficient small sewer systems, based on the needs of society, sustainability and wise use of resources, and in close collaboration with private and public actors. - DRIZZLE
In DRIZZLE, one of VINNOVA's competence centers for world-class research in areas important to Sweden, researchers at Luleå University of Technology, companies and municipalities, develop groundbreaking, research-based stormwater solutions, which reduce the risk of flooding in cities, which minimize the pollution load on lakes and rivers, and which capture the opportunities that stormwater runoff can offer.
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