Swedish Universities of the Built Environment (SBU) is a cooperative organization that includes the activities of research and education at Chalmers University of Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Luleå University of Technology and Lund University Faculty of Engineering , which are connected with education of civil engineers. After a start-up phase, SBU was established in 2011 as a permanent organization with support from the four universities’ managements.
The organization’s aim is to work for construction-oriented research and education to have greater possibilities of filling the need – created by the trend toward a more sustainable society – for new and interdisciplinary knowledge and competence. The cooperation provides better conditions for joint applications at both international and national levels. An important part of the work is external and more strategically focused: Swedish Universities of the Built Environment should be a clear contributor to issues of research and education through coordinated relations to ministries, research foundations, research councils, public authorities and others. The purpose is to promote development of collaboration with architectural research associations, other universities with building-related activities, research institutes and other organizations in the area of research and education in Sweden and abroad.
Swedish Universities of the Built Environment is organized in seven theme groups: six with disciplinary orientations and one for basic education. When necessary, more temporary working groups are created, for example to conduct activities that reach over several theme groups.
The image displays the organisational structure of Swedish Universities of the Built Environment. The organisation is headed by a Board under which is an External Advisory Group. The work is divided in various thematic work groups. The board of directors consists of one representative for each university. A coordinator is responsible for coordinating the current activity within SBU. The coordinator and the theme group leaders are co-opted to the board of directors.
