“Sustainable development has been recognized by the United Nations (2015) as a challenge of transformation and integration. Transformation in the meaning that marginal changes are not sufficient, it is a question of systemic change to shift the world towards a sustainable path. Integration in the meaning that all dimensions of sustainability have to be considered simultaneously, and that we have to work together across sectors and scales.
Challenge Lab at Chalmers University of Technology is a challenge-driven innovation and co-creation arena aiming to support the transition towards a more sustainable society. At Challenge Lab, space is created for students from different master programmes to develop unique leadership capabilities and collaborate together with stakeholders from organisations within academia, industry, the public sector and civil society. Based on a backcasting methodology we explore complex sustainability challenges from multiple perspectives, and identify leverage points where there is potential for bridging the gap between a desirable, sustainable future and unsustainable systems of today.
Challenge Lab offers the course “Leadership for Sustainability Transitions” and “System interventions for sustainability transitions” in addition to master’s thesis opportunities. In the course, students address challenges to develop Chalmers’ campus, and during the master thesis, the students address challenges in Gothenburg and the region of West Sweden. Examples of thesis projects span from electromobility strategies in the city of Gothenburg, to developing blockchain solutions for a more efficient sharing economy.
Read more about the our courses, our previous master thesis, and our publications.
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