ReseaRch Quality assuRance foR the futuRe a ... - Lund University

Panel 15 – LTH | product development
They have extremely successful in transferring their research knowledge
to education by writing several successful and internationally acknowledged
textbooks. The staff is very mobile and many guest researchers are
welcomed at the Department. The project portfolio is extensive, funded
by national and international funding agencies, as well as by industry, although
bilateral industrial collaboration is surprisingly limited. Of great
concern is that the academic staff is stagnating in number, is exclusively
male, and that the number of PhD students is declining.
2.2 Research Infrastructure Very good (4)
The Department has an advanced research infrastructure at their disposal
in the three research fields: electrical power systems, water and waste
water systems and electrical machines and drives. Their electric drives
lab is unique in that it contains smaller machines (kW range rather than
10-kW range), making it very flexible and affordable, but still allows to
test combinations of AC and DC systems and to mimic real distribution
systems. They also have a privately sponsored Distribution System
Laboratory, to be used for research in distributed energy systems research,
for teaching purposes and for training practicing engineers.
2.3 Research Quality Excellent (5)
In spite of the fact that in 2007 almost all factors related to R&D
functions, namely revenue, PhD students, and publications are on the
decline from 2003 levels the Department has still maintained a level of
excellence. External R&D funding in 2007, per academic staff member,
decreased by almost 35% from the 2003 level, however significantly
increased EU helped make up some of this loss.
2.3.1 Quality Excellent (5)
Most of the research at IEA is application oriented. The emphasis is on
integration aspects of electric power systems, electric drive systems and
control of industrial processes (mainly waste and waste water treatment).
IEA also wants to be academically competitive.
The quality of the industrially oriented research cannot be inferred from
the few industrial projects they run (SAAB, Energinet.dk), although it
seems that the number of bilateral projects directly sponsored by industry
is relatively low. The Department is much more successful in ascertaining
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