Jan Johansson

About me

I am a senior professor with long-standing experience in research, teaching, and collaboration within the fields of work science, occupational health and safety, work organisation, and industrial development. I hold a Master of Science degree in Industrial Management and Engineering and a PhD in Human Work Sciences. I have been affiliated with Luleå University of Technology since the mid-1970s and was appointed Full Professor in Industrial Work Environment in 1994.

Throughout my academic career, my research has had a clear interdisciplinary and applied orientation. My main interest has been the interaction between technology, organisation, and work, and how technological development, digitalisation, and new production and management concepts affect working conditions, occupational health and safety, competence requirements, gender relations, and the organisation of work. A substantial part of my research has focused on industrial contexts such as mining and construction, but also on broader labour market and work environment policy issues.

I have been involved in and led a large number of national and international research projects funded by, among others, EU framework programmes, national research councils, innovation agencies, the European Social Fund, and industry partners. These projects have often been carried out in close collaboration with companies, trade unions, and public authorities, with the aim of contributing both to scientific knowledge and to practical development in working life. A recurring theme in my work has been how sustainable, safe, and attractive workplaces can be developed in periods of technological and organisational change.

Alongside my research activities, I have held several academic leadership and governance positions. These include roles as Head of Department, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Technology, and member of various university boards and appointment committees. I have also served as a member of the Swedish Research Council’s Committee for Educational Sciences and its Ethical Committee. Internationally, I have held a visiting professorship at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.

I have been actively involved in doctoral education for much of my career and have served as principal supervisor for a large number of PhD candidates, as well as co-supervisor for several others. Teaching and academic supervision have been important and integral parts of my professional work, together with teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

My publication record is extensive and includes books, book chapters, peer-reviewed journal articles, research reports, and conference papers published both nationally and internationally. The publications reflect a long-term engagement with issues related to occupational health and safety, work organisation, industrial transformation, and the development of working life in a broader societal perspective.

I am now retired from my role as academic leader, but I continue to be active as a senior professor, focusing on research, academic writing, supervision, and selected collaboration activities.