Programme for Global Impact Forum and Sunrise Summit.
We invite you to a vibrant meeting place where global challenges are explored through dialogue, collaboration and innovative co-creation across disciplines, sectors and perspectives.
Tuesday 19 May – SUNRISE Summit
08:30- 09:30 Registration and coffee
09:30 - 10:00 Welcome remarks
Welcome by Martin Hellström, Vice-Chancellor, Mälardalen University, SUNRISE coordinator and Student Board representative Lova Libert
10:00 - 11:30 Voices from the quadruple helix collaboration including round table discussions
Voices from the quadruple helix collaboration: academia, industry, government and civil society. With Helena Jerregård, MDU, Pro-Vice Chancellor Collaboration, Karin Axelsson, MDU, Vice Dean for Collaboration & WP5 leader, Siros Jahanfar, Hitachi Energy, Program Manager Swedish Growth, Maria Linder, Director Region Västmanland, Lukas Dust, founder of Scailab (previous PhD at MDU) and Fredrik Pettersson, Head of Operations and Communications, ABF.
11:30 - 12:00 WP5 presentation and progress
12:00 - 13:30 Lunch
13:30 - 16:00 Sunrise Alliance Work Packages
Parallel sessions and working meetings according to the SUNRISE alliance work packages
16:00 - 16:30 Coffee break
16:30 - 17:00 Reflections and impressions from the day
Wednesday 20 May – MDU Global Impact Forum
08:00- 09:00 Registration and coffee
09:00 - 09:25: Opening ceremony
We highlight the importance of global colloaboration, impact innovation and a holistic approach on innovation, as well the power of co-creation, the collective intelligence and the importance of going from separation to collaboration in a world full of polarization. With Martin Hellström, Vice-Chancellor of Mälardalen University, Helena Jerregård, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Mälardalen University and the moderator Catarina Rolfsdotter-Jansson.
09:25 - 09:42 Keynote: Dougald Hine
Dougald Hine - social thinker, writer and speaker
Dougald Hine is a social thinker, writer, speaker and the co-founder of the Dark Mountain Project and a school called HOME. His latest book is At Work in the Ruins (2023) and he publishes new essays on his Substack, Writing Home. He has given keynotes and talks on numerous platforms – from the European Commission and TEDx events to the back rooms of pubs and squatted social centres – and is a regular guest lecturer at universities, art and architecture schools across Europe.
09:43 - 10:00 Keynote: Education Without Borders - building Global Impact Through Partnerships
Uday Salunkhe, Group Director for WeSchool
Prof. Dr. Uday Salunkhe is Group Director of Prin. L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research (WeSchool), India, and a recognised global thought leader in management education. An Eisenhower Fellowship recipient, he brings extensive experience in building international academic partnerships and fostering student and faculty mobility.
In this keynote, he shares insights on global collaboration, innovation in higher education, and how cross-border partnerships can drive meaningful impact.
10:00 - 10:15 Keynote: History, Knowledge and Societal Change
Sonali Pednekar – Historian and Academic Leader
Dr. Sonali Pednekar is a distinguished historian with over 40 years of experience in teaching, research, and academic leadership, with a focus on regional and urban history in India.In this keynote, she highlights the importance of historical knowledge, archival research, and critical understanding in shaping how societies evolve. Framed within Connect for Global Impact, her perspective underscores how deep knowledge of the past can inform education, strengthen cultural understanding, and support more thoughtful and sustainable societal development.
10:15 - 10:50 Universities and Their Role in Modern Society
Round table conversation about universities role for broad co-creation for sustainable, systemic innovation.
10:50 - 11:20 Coffee and exibitions
11:20 - 12:35 Innovation and impact showcases including round table discussions
- The “Farm” Living Lab explores how vertical farming, smart water use, and resource recovery can contribute to sustainable food production. With Monica Odlare, Professor in Environmental Engineering at Mälardalen University
- High-lighting wastewater initiatives in Mumbai, with Rupali Deshmukh from the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute. Rupali Deshmukh is a sustainability professional passionate about driving sustainable business development. She has deep expertise in water, wastewater, waste management, textile sorting & recycling, and resource efficiency for cleaner production.
- Waste-water Management. Anil Kumar Dikshit, Professor at the Environmental Science and Engineering Department at the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay, India, and Indra Khant Jha (PhD), a passionate environmental engineer and entrepreneur with over a decade of leadership the intersection of of scientific research and scalable clean-tech solutions. Together they will showcase the importance of environment systems planning and management, environmental impact assessment and water supply as well as clean technology and wastewater engineering.
- Securing Water through Circular innovation. Francesco Fatone, Professor of Chemical-Environmental Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Marche (UNIVPM), Italy. He will provide insights into how technical solutions can be integrated into broader systems for sustainability, and how co-created innovations between academia, industry, and society can generate tangible environmental and societal impact.
- Pladdra AB – Award-winning AI for Education Winner of the Global EdTech Startup Awards at BETT London, Pladdra is an AI-driven learning platform designed to support teachers and students. In this session, Joakim Flink, founder of Pladdra, shares how secure, GDPR-compliant AI can enhance learning, reduce workload, and promote equal opportunities in education.
12:40 - 14:00 Lunch, mingle and exibitions
14:00 - 15:15 Students as Global Citizens including student projects
Connecting students across borders unlocks the power of global citizenship. This session explores how universities can place the student perspective at the centre of their mission and involve students more actively in innovation processes. Through examples of student projects, we highlight how co-creation between students, companies, and researchers can transform ideas into meaningful innovation with societal impact.
The session concludes with a roundtable discussion on the skills, mindsets, and real-life experiences needed to turn collaboration into tangible outcomes.
Read more about the student projects
15:15 - 15:30 Summary and information about afternoon and evening
15:30 - 16:00 Coffee and exibitions
16:00 - 17:15 Parallell sessions:
Co-creation, Innovation and Technology Transfer
In this block of parallel sessions, participants can explore different perspectives on how co-creation, collaboration, and innovation ecosystems enable research to move from knowledge generation to real-world impact.
The sessions highlight themes such as communities of practice, co-production between academia and society, regional Triple Helix collaboration, global and local partnerships, and emerging initiatives in higher education and technology. Together, they illustrate how curiosity, collaboration, and interdisciplinary approaches can transform complexity into capacity and support the journey from research to innovation and societal value.
- POWERED BY CURIOSITY - It is time to change the game
Mia Saas, Lecturer in Innovation and Design, Mälardalen University - From research to innovations and impact
Heini Karlström, Innovation Advisor and colleagues from Mälardalen University Idea Lab - What Are Universities For? Rethinking Impact, Rigour, and Relevance
Chris Ivory , professor of Innovation Management, Mälardalen University - Turning Complexity into Capacity: Regional Triple Helix Responses to Global Challenges (starts 15:30 and ends 17:30 - please bring your coffee!)
Anja Ankelius, Collaboration Coordinator MDU & Maria Nordling, Region Västmanland - AI-Write: A collaborative EU project for higher education
Elisabeth Wulff-Sahlén, Lecturer in Language Studies and Comparative Literature, Joanna Baoumgart, senior lecturer and researcher specializing in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and language pedagogy, Sofia Hort, associate senior lecturer and researcher in Swedish with a special interest in literacy and Olcay Sert, professor of English Language Education, Mälardalen University
Evening Programme - 20 May
18:30 - 19:00 Networking and mingle between formal programme and dinner
19:00 - 00:00 Dinner & music
Participants who signed up for the evening programme are warmly welcome to an evening of networking, dinner and music.
Thursday 21 May – MDU Global Impact Forum
09:30 - 09:35 Welcome and introduction
09:35 - 10:00 Keynote: Europe in a Connected World – Policy, Partnerships and Global Impact
Annika Wäppling Korzinek, Head of the European Commission Representation in Sweden. In an increasingly interconnected world, global challenges require strong international partnerships and coordinated policy action. In this keynote, Annika Wäppling Korzinek, will share perspectives on how the European Commission works to connect European priorities with global cooperation. The talk will highlight the role of the Commission’s representation in Sweden in communicating EU policies and fostering dialogue with national stakeholders. Framed within the conference theme Connect for Global Impact, the keynote will reflect on how policy, international collaboration and knowledge exchange can contribute to addressing shared global challenges in areas such as sustainability, climate and economic development.
10:00 - 10:20 Keynote: Building Bridges for Sustainable Growth and Global Impact
Jan Larsson – CEO, Business Sweden
In a rapidly changing global landscape, collaboration across borders is key to achieving sustainable economic growth and long-term impact. Drawing on experience from business, government, and international policy, Jan Larsson shares insights on how Sweden can strengthen its global position, build strategic partnerships, and navigate the opportunities of an interconnected world
10:20 - 11:00 Coffee and exibitions
11:00 - 12:30 Co-creation with society - showcases including round table discussions
Exploring how research and collaboration with society can turn ideas into real-world impact, this session highlights the power of co-creation across academia, industry, public sector, and civil society.
- Co-creation with Public Sector: Center for Welfare Change. Petra von Heideken Wågert, Professor of Physiotherapy and Scientific Director, leads a collaborative hub where academia, public sector, industry, and civil society develop the welfare of the future through health and welfare technologies. She explores how co-created processes and shared innovation arenas can drive sustainable, evidence-based improvements in welfare systems, enhancing health and quality of life.
- Co-creation with Industry: MARC. Thomas Nolte, Professor, Head of Mälardalen University Automation Research Center (MARC), leads MARC, an interdisciplinary hub developing next-generation automation, robotics, and digital infrastructure in collaboration with industrial partners. He explores how co-created research and innovation between academia and industry can drive digitalisation, sustainable production, and circular economy solutions for the factories of the future.
12:30 - 12:55 Forum Highlights in Action – Improvisation Theatre
Improvisation Theatre group Jonas&Mathias wraps up the Global Impact Forum with a lively, creative reflection on the event’s key insights and highlights.
12:55 - 13:00 Closing and Summary – Global Impact Forum
We wrap up the forum by highlighting the importance of global collaboration, impact-driven innovation, and a holistic approach to problem-solving.
With Martin Hellström, Vice-Chancellor of Mälardalen University, Helena Jerregård, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Mälardalen University, and moderator Catarina Rolfsdotter.
13:00 - 14:00 Food for a Sustainable World: seasonal, local, and planet-friendly bites.