List of experts for the Swedish election 2026

Are you a journalist looking for someone who can comment on current issues related to the 2026 election? At Luleå University of Technology, there are researchers who can answer general questions about elections and politics and comment on a wide range of specific issues. This list is a selection of researchers and may be updated.

Politics and elections in general

Political instruments and politics in general

Simon Matti is Professor of Political Science. His research focuses on policy processes and the legitimacy of political strategies and policy instruments, particularly in the fields of climate, environment and energy. He can also comment on elections and politics in general, including opinion polls, voters, political parties and issues related to democracy.
simon.matti@ltu.se
+46 (0)920 49 23 31

Environmental policy and politics, as well as general election issues

Charlotta Söderberg, Associate Professor of Political Science, conducts research on environmental policy and governance, the green transition, skills provision and urban development. She can also comment on politics and elections in general, including citizen participation and voter behaviour.
charlotta.soderberg@ltu.se
+46 (0)920 49 23 83

Nature, environment, climate and raw materials

Forest and natural resource policy

Karin Beland Lindahl is Associate Professor of Political Science. Her research focuses on natural resource governance and natural resource policy, with particular emphasis on land-use conflicts involving forests, minerals and energy. She has also studied the role of forests in climate policy, EU forest-related policies and how these are implemented in different countries. In addition, she has worked on issues related to Indigenous policy and Indigenous land-use conflicts.
karin.beland.lindahl@ltu.se
+46 (0)920 49 32 93

Environment, natural resources and policy

Annica Sandström is Professor of Political Science. Her research examines how public and private actors interact in the design and implementation of policy, particularly in complex areas where different interests and values are in conflict. Her work has been applied to issues relating to the environment, natural resources and sustainable development. She has studied governance and decision-making processes in forestry, water management, marine environments, wildlife management, and mineral and mining policy. Current projects include biodiversity, the climate transition in forestry, and how dialogue and collaboration can help address conflicts over natural resources and land use.
annica.sandstrom@ltu.se
+46 (0)920 49 13 56

Politics and the green transition

Gregory Poelzer is Associate Senior Lecturer in Political Science. His research focuses on social acceptance and decision-making in the mineral and energy sectors. He also studies corporate stakeholder engagement strategies and the role of the state in project development in Sweden, the EU and Canada. He can comment on the political and societal dimensions of the green transition.
gregory.poelzer@ltu.se
+46 (0)920 49 29 18

Energy and industrial policy, and climate targets

Anna Krook-Riekkola, Professor of Energy Engineering, is an expert in sustainable energy transitions, energy systems analysis and the green industrial transition, with a particular focus on Sweden. She can comment on energy supply, electrification, climate policy, energy and industrial policy, and the policy instruments required for Sweden to achieve its climate targets. Her research is based on systems analysis, combining energy systems modelling with analyses of technology, economics and policy, similar to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) net-zero emissions pathways.
anna.krook-riekkola@ltu.se
+46 (0)920 49 25 52

Carbon capture and storage

Glenn Bark, Senior Lecturer in Ore Geology, researches geological storage of carbon dioxide as a climate mitigation measure and its links to carbon capture at industrial point sources (Carbon Capture and Storage, CCS). He can also comment on mining, mineral exploration and metal extraction.
glenn.bark@ltu.se
+46 (0)920 49 10 39, +46 (0)70 265 80 64

Raw materials, research policy and industrial policy

Pär Weihed is Professor of Ore Geology and Pro Vice-Chancellor of Luleå University of Technology. As a researcher in ore geology, he can comment on raw material issues, including critical and strategic metals and minerals, raw materials policy at both national and EU level, mineral exploration and mining. In his role as Pro Vice-Chancellor, he can also comment on research policy and industrial policy.
par.weihed@ltu.se
+46 (0)920 49 39 87

History

Women in politics throughout history

Josefin Rönnbäck is Senior Lecturer in History. Her research focuses on gender, democracy and citizenship, including women’s struggles for suffrage, eligibility for election and political representation. She can comment on issues related to political history and women in politics.
josefin.ronnback@ltu.se
+46 (0)920 49 14 06

Minorities, reindeer hurding and history

Dag Avango, Professor of History, Curt Persson, Senior Lecturer in History, and Judit Johansson Malmgren, Research Engineer in History, conduct research on the national minorities Tornedalians, Kvens and Lantalaiset, as well as the Indigenous Sámi people, from a historical perspective. Their research has covered traditional land use linked to agriculture, reindeer herding and natural resource extraction, as well as land-use conflicts. They can comment on current political issues concerning natural resource and land-use conflicts in northern Sweden.
dag.avango@ltu.se, +46 (0)920 49 15 73
curt.persson@ltu.se
judit.johansson.malmgren@ltu.se, +46 (0)920 49 28 44

Security

Total defence and the university

Niklas Lehto is Associate Professor and Head of Department at the Department of Systems and Space Engineering. He can comment on overarching issues related to the department’s research. He also works with matters concerning Luleå University of Technology’s role in Sweden’s total defence system and collaborations in this field, including the Campus Total Defence initiative.
niklas.lehto@ltu.se
+46 (0)920 49 20 85

The Arctic – security, geopolitics and resources

Luleå University of Technology is one of the initiators of Campus Total Defence, a strategic collaboration between Swedish higher education institutions aimed at strengthening Sweden’s total defence through education, research and collaboration. Dag Avango, Professor of History, leads the knowledge area Space and the Arctic. He can comment on issues relating to geopolitics and total defence in the Arctic region.
dag.avango@ltu.se
+46 (0)920 49 15 73

Cybersecurity

Karl Andersson is Professor and Head of Subject in Cybersecurity. His research focuses primarily on technical aspects of cybersecurity, particularly telecommunications (5G/6G), resilience and total defence, as well as the use and security implications of AI. He can also comment on cybersecurity issues related to elections, such as cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and future possibilities for digital voting.
karl.andersson@ltu.se
+46 (0)910 58 53 64

Information security and digital resiliens

Christine Große is Professor and Head of Subject in Information Systems, with a research background in computer and systems sciences and public leadership. She co-leads the research area Space and the Arctic and holds the Arctic Six Chair for 2026–2028, focusing on Total Defence in the Nordic regions. Her research focuses on socio-technical information and cyber security, societal resilience and collaboration between stakeholders, for example in relation to hybrid threats, critical infrastructure, essential societal services and civil defence. Among other things, she can answer questions regarding the influence of foreign powers, disinformation campaigns, preparedness and digital resilience.
christine.grosse@ltu.se
+46 (0)920 49 19 92

Education, health and working life

Education policy and teacher education

Maria Johansson is Professor of Mathematics and Science Education and Head of Department at the Department of Health, Learning and Technology. Her research focuses on mathematics education, and she is responsible for leading a large academic environment encompassing both research and education in health and teacher education. She can comment on political aspects of schools and teacher education.
maria.l.johansson@ltu.se
+46 (0)920 49 10 09

Health and policy

Anna-Karin Lindqvist, Professor of Physiotherapy and Health Promotion, conducts research on children’s and young people’s health, physical activity and interventions that can promote these. She can comment on policy aspects of system-based measures and policy development aimed at creating sustainable conditions for increased physical activity and improved population health.
anna-karin.lindqvist@ltu.se
+46 (0)920 49 39 86

Nursing education, healthcare and social care

Åsa Engström, Professor of Nursing, conducts research on emergency care, nurses’ working environments, patient perspectives and health-promoting activities. She can comment on nursing education, doctoral education in nursing, and opportunities for equitable and equal healthcare and social care.
asa.engstrom@ltu.se
+46 (0)920 49 38 75

Sustainable workplaces and the work environment

Lena Abrahamsson is Professor of Human Work Sciences. Her research focuses on future sustainable and gender-equal workplaces, including how the green and digital transitions affect the work environment. Lena Abrahamsson can comment on labour market policy and gender equality issues related to working life.
lena.abrahamsson@ltu.se
+46 (0)70 359 21 07

AI, digitalisation and the built environment

AI and society

Marcus Liwicki, Professor of Machine Learning, conducts research on how machines can understand and analyse the world through pattern recognition, artificial intelligence, human–computer interaction, digital humanities and knowledge management. He is also the Vice-Chancellor’s Adviser on AI and is active within WASP (Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program). His research group studies scalable and sustainable AI, AI for analysing migration communication, and how war affects people both in directly affected and peripheral countries. He can comment on technical, societal and political aspects of AI, including its impact on democracy, public communication, migration and decision-making.
marcus.liwicki@ltu.se
+46 (0)920 49 10 06

Digitalisation and the built environment

Olle Samuelson is Adjunct Professor of Construction Management and Building Technology. His research focuses on the implementation of digitalisation in the built environment sector and its impact on organisation, processes and business models. He can also comment on research policy and research funding.
olle.samuelson@ltu.se
+46 (0)70 329 04 42

Transport planning and passenger transport

Charlotta Johansson is Associate Professor of Architecture and Head of Department at the Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering. Her research concerns planning infrastructure for passenger transport, including walking and cycling, road safety and rural transport.
charlotta.m.johansson@ltu.se
+46 (0)920 49 18 67

Space

Space

René Laufer, Professor of Space Systems, researches areas including small satellites. He has broad expertise in space technology and can comment on the importance of space for society and on space policy.
rene.laufer@ltu.se
+46 (0)980 67 582

More researchers

Didn't find what you were looking for? Luleå University of Technology has a large number of researchers who can comment on topical issues relevant to elections and public debate. Our research cover fields including mining, railways, water, wastewater, AI, artistic activities, law, economy, natural resources and much more. Please contact the Press Office and we will help you find the most suitable expert for your subject area.