The recipients have contributed greatly to strengthening the partnership between academia and the business community and have created opportunities for future engineers to meet the demands of the green energy transition.
– Through their commitment and positive energy, the recipients of the award have established a strong collaborative partnership between academia and the business community. Thanks to their contributions to valuable work that benefits both organisations and promotes a collective understanding, they are paving the way towards a successful green transition and the development of the sustainable energy system of the future, says Pro-Vice-Chancellor Maria Jansdotter Samuelsson, Dalarna University.
The collaboration has both influenced the design of the programme and also had a positive effect on students’ motivation and results.
– As part of the programme, Hitachi Energy has been able to contribute with its knowledge of engineering and the experience it has from the current challenges facing industry. Students have been prepared for future professional roles with more innovative expertise. We have also seen that the collaboration is greatly motivational for students, and the result of this has been high-level academic performance, say Hans Ersson and Johan Heier, directors of the programme at Dalarna University.
Building a successful collaborative partnership requires time and commitment from all parties, something that the award recipients highlight as being a key factor to success.
– The key to success in such work has been to have both a dedicated contact person at Hitachi Energy who understands the university’s perspective as well as strong mutual trust and commitment. Both Dalarna University and Hitachi Energy have also clearly seen the benefits of long-term collaboration, says Désirée Kroner, lecturer at Dalarna University.
The dedicated contact person in focus here is Håkan Flink, recipient of the collaboration award.
– I feel very honoured to be receiving the award as a representative of a large team at Dalarna University and Hitachi Energy, which has resulted in extremely positive collaboration, says Håkan Flink, project manager at Hitachi Energy.
When he reflects on the factors that have led to such successful collaboration, he highlights how important it is that both parties see the value of working together.
– Our joint activities promote both the university and Hitachi Energy at the same time as we create something that is of interest to our future students and employees. We are building a network of contacts that will help us solve problems and promote collaboration – both are winners, says Håkan Flink.
The collaboration is an example of Dalarna University’s work to establish strong and long-term relationships with the business community, which is crucial when it comes to educating competent engineers and thus contributing to a sustainable future.
The citation for the award reads as follows:
External collaboration award 2025
Håkan Flink, Strategic Ambassador for Competence Growth, Hitachi Energy
With his positive energy and great enthusiasm, Håkan Flink has contributed to the development of the programme together with Hitachi Energy employees, programme directors and teaching staff from the Bachelor’s Programme in Engineering, Sustainable Energy Systems. Håkan Flink sees the mutual benefits that result from collaboration between the business community and university. He has established the contacts that have been essential to the development of the professional content of the programme, whose students will be well-equipped to contribute in informed ways to the green energy transition.
Internal collaboration award 2025
Hans Ersson, Development Officer, Energy Engineering, Johan Heier, Lecturer Energy and Environmental Engineering, Désirée Kroner, Lecturer
Just over one year ago, the teaching staff in the Bachelor’s Programme in Engineering, Sustainable Energy Systems, began working with Hitachi Energy on programme content. The plan is to continue such developmental work with more programme courses. Through the collaboration, engineering students will gain an understanding of how technology in the industry is put to use, and they are then well-equipped to address the green transition in their future professional roles. Academia and the business community have different organisational cultures, but the collaboration has contributed to an increased mutual understanding that in itself benefits ongoing collaboration. Programme directors Johan Heier and Hans Ersson and lecturer Désirée Kroner, together with other members of programme teaching staff, have headed the successful development through their great commitment and work.
Dalarna University’s Collaboration Awards
The Collaboration Award is presented to staff at the university and external partners who have taken real steps towards increased collaboration between Dalarna University and the business community, the public sector and other external parties both locally and internationally.
Presentation of the awards will take place at the Academic Ceremony on 21 March.
