BTH Professor affiliated to the council for sustainable cities

BTH Professor Göran Broman is one of twelve sustainability experts in the newly established research and innovation group that is now tied to the Government’s Council for Sustainable Cities. The purpose of the group is to promote sustainable urban development and to strengthen the link between research and practice.

-The assignment feels very honorable and stimulating, says Professor Göran Broman. Our research focuses on methodology for cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration for strategic sustainable development, and one of our application areas is sustainable municipal and regional development. This assignment provides an opportunity for increased utilization of our research and an opportunity for learning from others in an important area.

The Council for Sustainable Cities consists of thirteen authorities and has been established by the government to support Sweden’s municipalities in their sustainability work. The Council shall promote sustainable urban development through increased collaboration between the authorities and by developing proposals for strategically important measures also outside the authorities’ areas of responsibility.

A research and innovation group is now tied to the Council, with the task of raising major future-issues and research needs and to strengthen the link between research and practice. The group consists of twelve experts in different areas of relevance for sustainable urban development. Göran Broman at BTH is one of these.

BTH’s research in strategic sustainable development is gaining increasing attention. For example, an external evaluation recently showed that several scientific publications by researchers in the field are very well cited internationally. There is also a strong connection to practice.

– Our research is done in collaboration with companies, municipalities and other external parties. This experience will probably also come in handy when working with the expert group, concludes Göran Broman.

– It is very gratifying and very good that our internationally leading research and our extensive collaboration experience are utilized by the Council for Sustainable Cities, says Vice-Chancellor Mats Viberg.

Contact
Göran Broman, e-mail: goran.broman@bth.se or phone: +46 (0)455-38 55 04.