A Municipal PhD supervisor as a research mediator

Purpose and goal

The objective to increase understanding and cooperation between academia and the municipality was achieved through common meetings when the municipal supervisor spent time at the IIIEE at Lund University, met researchers and was able to discuss common visions, goals and possibilities for cooperation. Through discussions with the academic and municipal supervisor as well as the municipal PhD it was possible to identify processes and topics that are relevant for the municipality and for academia.

Expected results and effects

Throug the project it was possibility to identify areas for cooperation. Especially the Swedish government’s cooperation platform for smart cities has been deemed relevant and the project has made it possible to write a proposal together. A number of thematic topics have been identified for cooperation, such as the sharing economy, innovation processes and not least the municipal PhD’s research topic on the use of qualitative indicators for city development. Experiences from the project have been disseminated via ISU as well as in a number of steering groups.

Planned approach and implementation

Kommunhandledare deltog i möten på internationella miljöinstitutet, både tillsammans med kommundoktoranden och dess akademiska handledare, men även med andra forskare på institutionen. Erfarenheter och konkreta samarbetsidéer har spridits vidare i möten och seminarier där även andra aktörer inom akademin och offentliga sektorn deltog, så som ISU institut för hållbar stadsutveckling eller via seminarier som anordnades av Kommunförbundet Skåne.