Overview
Formas encourages and support scientifically significant research related to sustainable development. Especially this means support in the areas of the environment, agricultural sciences including forestry, horticulture, veterinary medicine, food, fish and reindeer husbandry and spatial planning including building sciences and community systems. The projects supported cover a wide range of approaches from basic research to more applied efforts and within the built environment also demonstration and experimental projects.
Infrastructure is essential to modern society, but have been provided at the cost of constantly increasing environmental impact. It is essential that resource-efficient and minimum environmental impact systems for services such as energy and transport be developed if we are to achieve sustainable development in our towns and cities.
The concept of infrasystems couples both the social and the technical aspects of infrastructure systems for dealing with flows of materials, energy, goods, persons and information in plants and networks.
Formas stimulates activities aiming at cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary approaches within its area of responsibility. Formas provides mechanisms for the communication of research results and stimulates the public debate on issues of concern emerging from or related to research for sustainable development.
Funding
The Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning, is investing about SEK 12 million in six projects concentrating on the transition of Swedish infrastructural systems.