ORE GEOLOGY - IN THE EPICENTRE OF THE FOSSIL-FREE ENERGY TRANSITION

The battery value chain encompasses the extensive range of processes and industries that contribute to the production and post-use phase of rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles and other applications. Familiarity with all parts of the value chain is important in the growth of the individual parts. A stronger value chain and a greater awareness of its entirety also leads to the development of more sustainable and higher performance batteries that are needed for the ongoing green transition. In this course, we will give an overview of the key activities and industries within the battery value chain, from raw materials to use-phase and recycling. A focus will be on scale-up, linking lab-scale research to production, while additionally considering sustainability aspects in all value chain sectors. Topics Battery value chain overview Sourcing raw materials Critical raw materials and sustainable materials Materials synthesis and scale-up of production Electrode fabrication Cell formats, fabrication, and formation Applications and safety Re-use, recycling, and circularity  Course structure This course is fully digital with pre-recorded lectures. The recordings are in Swedish with English subtitles. You can take part in the course in your own pace. You will learn By the end of the course, you will be able to: identify the key processes and industries of the battery value chain, describe the important practices in each part, and relate certain aspects to your existing knowledge and/or experiences. You will be able to discuss aspects of sustainability for each part of the value chain, how the concept of circularity is important, and how these relate to the development of next-generation batteries. Who is the course for? This course is designed primarily for those active in the vehicle industry or other technical fields that have limited knowledge of batteries or related topics. Participants ideally have an educational or professional background in the natural sciences or technology, but the course can also be interesting for those in geology, social sciences, or with links to any battery-relevant industry. 

Access to critical minerals and materials crucial to our wealth and well-being must be produced in a sustainable way. This means that the research must deal with metals and minerals that are innovation-critical, necessary for green/smart transition, rare, of insufficient supply or which should not be traded from conflict zones. Various component of the course makes it useful for professionals and hands-on with lectures, assignments, homeworks, fieldcourse and field reports as well as rock physics lab. Topics Sustainable exploration, mining and extraction of critical raw materials Course element: Critical and strategic raw materials Sustainability, SDGs, ESG and social aspects (the value chain) Exploration methods Geological and ore forming context Physical properties Geophysical methods Drilling technologies Extraction and mineral processing methods Rock quality and mining methods Nano-tech solutions Ground water contamination and accessibility Environmental assessments Mine tailing and beneficiation Site visits and hands-on (Epiroc, Blötberget, labs) Course structure The course is a combination of in-person, hybrid and hands-on including field trips. You will learn By the end of the course, you will be able to: analyse what exploration methods are used for what commodities, have good knowledge of the state-of-the-art solutions and incorporate your learning in todays industry practices. Who is the course for? This course is designed for those who are geologists, engineers or work with sustainability to learn how critical raw materials are explored, mined and turn to metals. It is open to both university students but also industry participants from relevant sectors. How much time do I need for the course? The course will run from 25 August - 5 December 2025 and will in sum require 100 hrs of commitments. Check the SERC center for more updates: www.smartexploration.se

This course has an English version. Look for course with title "Why choose wood for the next high rise building?" KursbeskrivningOlika typer av biomaterial (t.ex. trä) är mycket viktiga i utmaningen att avkarbonisera byggmiljön och minska koldioxidavtrycket för byggnader och infrastruktur genom att ersätta material som stål och cement som har höga koldioxidutsläpp. Samtidigt får vi inte glömma bort att biologisk mångfald, natur och sociala värden i våra skogar är viktigt att behålla samtidigt som skogsbruk bedrivs. I kursens 13 moduler tas skogsbrukets kretslopp upp inklusive avverkningsmetoder, biologisk mångfald, skogsskötsel, logistik, skogens roll i klimatomställningen, kolinlagring, miljöfördelar med att bygga flervåningshus i trä mm. Syftet är att ni som deltar i kursen ska få en gemensam förståelse av det svenska skogsbruket för att ni sen ska kunna fatta välgrundade beslut om materialval vid nästa byggprojekt. KursperiodKursen kommer att vara aktiv under 3 år. InnehållSkogshistoria: Skogens nyttjande i Sverige genom historienSkogsbruksmetoder och skogsskötselSkogsföryngringVirkets egenskaperMätning av skog och virkeSkogsträdsförädling: nutid och framtidSkogens kolbalans och klimatetAffärsmodeller och marknadsutveckling: Fokus flervåningshus med trästommarNaturvård och biologisk mångfald i skogen Kursens uppläggKursen är helt digital med förinspelade föreläsningar. Du kan delta i kursen i din egen takt. Modulerna avslutas med quiz där du kan testa hur mycket du har lärt dig. Du kommer få kunskap omEfter avslutad kurs kommer du att ha lärt dig mer om olika skogliga begrepp, förvärvat kunskap om skogens nyttjande i Sverige genom historien, ökat dina kunskaper om skogsskötsel och hur olika skogsskötselmetoder påverkar den biologiska mångfalden i skogen, lärt dig om skogsbrukets kretslopp – från föryngring till slutavverkning mm. Vem vänder sig kursen till?Den här kursen är tänkt för dig som är yrkesverksam arkiktekt, anställd på kommun som arbetar med stadsplanering och byggande, verksam i bygg- och anläggningsbranschen samt verksam i andra relaterade yrken. Detta är en introduktionskurs och kommer att bidra till en kompetenshöjning i hela byggsektorns ekosystem vilket ökar branschens internationella konkurrenskraft, samtidigt som det ger viktiga förutsättningar för utvecklingen av framtidens hållbara, vackra och inkluderande städer. Eftersom kursen är öppen för alla hoppas vi att fler grupper, exempelvis studenter, doktorander, skogsägare och andra med skogsintresse tar kursen, tar del av inspirerande föreläsningar där vetenskaplig kunskap som producerats huvudsakligen inom SLU presenteras.För mer information kontakta kurskoordinator dimitris.athanassiadis@slu.se  

Målet med kursen är att ge lärare fortbildning inom ämnet djurvälfärd och hållbarhet. Kursens mål är också att ge lärare inspiration att designa sin egen undervisning, att ge lärare möjlighet att ta till sig ny forskning och att dela med sig av läraktiviteter som kan användas av fler.

Batteries and battery technology are vital for achieving sustainable transportation and climate-neutral goals. As concerns over retired batteries are growing and companies in the battery or electric vehicle ecosystem need appropriate business strategies and framework to work with.This course aims to help participants with a deep understanding of battery circularity within the context of circular business models. You will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to design and implement circular business models and strategies in the battery and electric vehicle industry, considering both individual company specific and ecosystem-wide perspectives. You will also gain the ability to navigate the complexities of transitioning towards circularity and green transition in the industry.The course includes a project work to develop a digitally enabled circular business model based on real-world problems. Course content Battery second life and circularity Barriers and enablers of battery circularity Circular business models Ecosystem management Pathways for circular transformation Design principles for battery circularity Role of advanced digital technologies Learning outcomes After completing the course, you will be able to: Describe the concept of battery circularity and its importance in achieving sustainability goals. Examine and explain the characteristics and differences of different types of circular business models and required collaboration forms in the battery- and electric vehicle- industry. Analyze key factors that are influencing design and implement circular business models based on specific individual company and its ecosystem contexts. Analyze key stakeholders and develop ecosystem management strategies for designing and implementing circular business models. Explain the role of digitalization, design, and policies to design and implement circular business models. Plan and design a digitally enabled circular business model that is suitable for a given battery circularity problem. Examples of professional roles that will benefit from this course are sustainability managers, battery technology engineers, business development managers, circular developers, product developers, environmental engineers, material engineers, supply chain engineers or managers, battery specialists, circular economy specialists, etc. This course is given by Mälardalen university in cooperation with Luleå University of Technology. Study effort: 80 hours

Improve work environments using RAMP (Risk management Assessment tool for Manual handling Proactively)! In this course, you will get an overview of the entire RAMP tool and learn to identify and assess musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risks using the RAMP tool’s first module, RAMP I. MSDs are one of the most common reasons for absence from work today. It leads to reduced productivity and quality losses at companies, as well as increased medical costs. This course is part one of a RAMP program. The other courses are Risk Management of Work-Related Injuries using RAMP II and Proficiency in using RAMP for Risk Management of Work-Related Injuries.