Per Risberg Memorial Fund Scholarship awarded to Sofi Fristedt
The Per Risberg Memorial Fund Scholarship is awarded to someone who has made a significant contribution to strengthening collaboration and internationalization between Jönköping University (JU) and its stakeholders (industry and public organizations). The 2025 scholarship goes to Sofi Fristedt, Associate Professor of Health and Care Sciences at the School of Health and Welfare at JU.
The scholarship is awarded after consultation with JU and the Jönköping Chamber of Commerce. The award has been handed out five times previously, and Sofi Fristed will receive the award on 29 November during JU’s Academic Ceremony.
In the film below, Sofi comments on how it felt to be awarded the scholarship and how she tries to connect research, entrepreneurship and civil society in her work.
Sofi Fristedt is an associate professor in health and care science at the School of Health and Welfare where she teaches and conducts her own research. Her research focus includes active and healthy ageing. In addition to her contacts with research colleagues, Sofi has established collaborations with those directly connected to her research, such as patient organisations, staff within relevant organisations and companies. As project manager of the Gerotech network, Sofi was responsible for building a network of around 50 companies focused on various help aids and IT, among other things.
Sofi was research coordinator for the Almi-initiated VISAM Arena project, which was aimed at small and medium-sized companies that wanted to develop new ideas, obtain new products and services, and reach new markets.
From 2022 to 2024, Sofi was director of the Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and Welfare, where she strengthened and developed the organisation's activities. She initiated the formation of a citizens' council and also worked actively to increase engagement and collaboration between JU’s four schools.
Sofi is currently also the project leader for the Welfare@home project. In the final phase of the project, which involves co-creation, she has brought several companies on board. Sofi has also been involved in several start-ups of companies that operate in areas such as mobile safety alarms and activity sensors.
Her efforts over many years to initiate and collaborate with various public organisations and companies are entirely in line with the spirit of Per Risberg, which forms the basis for the scholarship criteria. She is a very good ambassador for JU.
