... professor of maritime transport management and logistics at the University of Gothenburg and a member of the Lighthouse program committee, who has been awarded no less than three different scientific prizes in the past month.

It’s not every month that a researcher makes a hat trick in scientific awards, right?

"Ha ha, no, it’s not common. I’ve been a researcher since 1991 and have never experienced anything like it. I may have received a smaller award here and there, but never three almost at the same time."

The largest of these is the Håkan Frisinger Prize, awarded by the Volvo Research and Educational Foundations (VREF). In addition to an individual prize sum of SEK 300,000, it is also linked to a guest research period at a Swedish university. Can you tell us a little about that?

"I will be affiliated with the research group for packaging logistics at Lund University and both conduct research and teach there at 20-25 percent. They are skilled in urban freight transport, while I work with long-distance transport, including shipping. Our joint research will delve into the intersection between local and long-distance transport and the resilience of supply chains."

You have also been awarded the Transport Research Chair by the transport research association BIVEC-GIBET in the BeNeLux region. What kind of award is that?

"Despite the name, it’s not a guest professorship but more of a recognition for past contributions. It means that over a period of two years, I will give three lectures, one in each country. They are meant to share a common maritime theme."

The third award, the Göran Persson Award for Best Paper, you received for an article you co-authored with your colleagues Patrik Jonsson at Chalmers and Martin Svanberg and Sara Rogerson at RISE.

"Yes, and the award has nothing to do with our former prime minister; rather, the Göran Persson in question was a legendary logistics researcher in Oslo. The award is well-regarded in Nordic logistics research. What’s particularly nice is that, in the spirit of Lighthouse, we’ve collaborated, and RISE, GU, and Chalmers together have received an award, and parts of the research were funded by Lighthouse."

What do such awards mean for a researcher’s career?

"It may mean something for one’s reputation, but I’d say it’s more important for the collective. It shows that we are strong in Sweden. Regarding the Frisinger Prize, I think it’s important that the field of freight transport is highlighted, as previously it’s mostly vehicle researchers who have been awarded."

Motivations and info extracted from press releases

(Håkan Frisinger Prize)
The Håkan Frisinger Prize is awarded annually to a prominent transport researcher active at a Nordic university or research institute. This year, Johan Woxenius, Professor of Maritime Transport Management and Logistics at the University of Gothenburg is the recipient.
– Johan Woxenius’ interdisciplinary research and extensive collaboration with various stakeholders have led to significant societal benefits, for example by improving the connection between container ports and the surrounding regions via rail. His proposed program at Lund University will provide excellent opportunities for academic collaboration as well as supervision and teaching in sustainable freight transport, says Thorbjörn Holmström, Chairman of the Board of Volvo’s Research and Educational Foundations (VREF).
In its motivation, VREF’s board also highlights that Johan Woxenius has a high international scientific reputation and a unique ability to explain complex contexts and challenges to the general public.

(The BIVEC-GIBET Transport Chair)
The BIVEC-GIBET Transport Chair awards an individual who has made an important scientific contribution and/or significant social merits related to transport and mobility within Europe. The chair is awarded every two years. The first chair was attributed in 2012.
We are thrilled to announce that the 2024-2025 BIVEC-GIBET Transport Chair is awarded to Professor Johan Woxenius. Professor Woxenius will give a series of three lectures around the topics of "Navigating in dire straits". His first talk will be about "Digital transformation of liner shipping".