On 21 May 2026, around 70 researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and invited guests gathered at the IVA Conference Center on Grev Turegatan in Stockholm for the Digital Futures Faculty Workshop, themed Driving Impact through Innovation. The afternoon brought together members of the Digital Futures community for discussions on innovation, entrepreneurship, academic leadership, and the growing societal impact of digital research.
The workshop opened with registration and networking, followed by a welcome session led by David Broman (Associate Director Faculty Digital Futures), who also introduced new faculty members and scholars-in-residence. Participants then took part in the first round of speed networking, setting a collaborative tone for the day.
An update on ongoing and upcoming Digital Futures initiatives was presented by Karl H Johansson (Director Digital Futures). The presentation highlighted current calls, support for developing research demonstrations and activities connected to KTH’s 200-year celebration, and preparations for the upcoming evaluation of Sweden’s Strategic Research Areas. Attendees also received insights into future initiatives, including challenge-driven research collaborations, new testbeds and datasets, and upcoming events such as Distinguished Lectures, seminars, and Digitalize in Stockholm 2026.
A central part of the workshop focused on innovation and impact beyond academia. In the session Innovation and Impact – Redefining Impact Beyond Citations, Urban Forssell (Head of AI Strategy and Innovation Digital Futures, KTH RSO), Hannes Eder Öhrström (Coach KTH Innovation/Portfolio Manager KTH Ventures AB), and David Broman discussed how researchers can translate scientific excellence into societal and industrial value.
The workshop’s three panel discussions generated lively conversations among participants. The first panel, Creating Research Spinoffs, explored how academic research can evolve into successful ventures and real-world applications. Panelists were Andreas Archenti (Co-founder iPercept), Gustav Henter (Co-founder Motorica), Ivan Stenius (Co-founder Zparq) and Joanna Hård (CEO Amun AI).
Following a coffee break and a second networking session, discussions continued with Combining Academic Leadership and Entrepreneurship, where panelists Paris Carbone (Co-founder Orb DB), Mårten Ahlqvist (Co-founder Scintuition), and Niclas Roxhed (Co-founder Capitainer), reflected on balancing research careers with innovation-driven activities.
The final panel, Deeptech Startups – The Investor’s View, offered perspectives from the investment community on opportunities and challenges facing emerging deeptech companies. Participants engaged actively with the speakers Maria Assarson (Partner & CEO Hidden Dreams), Johan Ekström (Founder & Managing Partner Ascend Capital), Hadar Cars (Partner Fairpoint Capital), and Martin Tisell (Private Investor) throughout the sessions, contributing questions and reflections from their own experiences.
The day concluded with closing remarks and an evening networking mingle with food and refreshments, giving attendees further opportunities to connect across disciplines and sectors.
“This workshop demonstrated the strength of the Digital Futures community — bringing together researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and industry perspectives to explore how digital research can create meaningful societal impact beyond academic publications. The strong engagement and discussions throughout the day showed a shared ambition to turn excellent research into real-world change,” said David Broman.
