Andreas Almqvist

Andreas Almqvist is a Professor in Machine Elements at Luleå University of Technology (LTU), working within the Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics. He serves as the director and operations manager of the Center for Sports and Performance Technology (SPORTC) and is actively involved in research and teaching related to computational tribology. Almqvist has been affiliated with LTU since completing his Master's degree in 2001, progressing through academic ranks to his current professorship.

Almqvist completed his Master of Science in Engineering at LTU in December 2001 and defended his PhD thesis in September 2006 titled 'On the Effects of Surface Roughness in Lubrication.' Following a 2-year postdoctoral position with Shell Global Solutions in England under the Marie Curie Transfer of Knowledge program (2007-2008), he returned to LTU in January 2009. He became Docent in November 2010, was appointed Associate Professor in January 2012, and was promoted to Professor in Machine Elements in May 2017.

His research focuses on computational tribology, with particular emphasis on multiphysics and multiscale modeling and simulation of continuum mechanical problems in tribology and sports technology. His work spans contact mechanics, flows in thin gaps, and friction phenomena, with recent applications to skiing performance. Since fall 2021, he has been collaborating with the Swedish Olympic Committee's 'Olympisk Offensiv' research program alongside other prominent Swedish sports scientists. His research approach integrates applied mathematics with practical engineering challenges, often involving collaborations across departments including Fluid Mechanics, Mathematics, and Machine Learning.

Analysis of Almqvist's recent publications reveals a strong trend toward applying tribological principles to winter sports performance, particularly skiing. His work bridges fundamental computational methods with practical applications, showing increasing interdisciplinary collaboration across engineering disciplines, sports science, and materials science. The research demonstrates both theoretical advances in modeling techniques and practical applications for performance enhancement in Olympic sports.

• ERC Grant Recipient
• Marie Curie Transfer of Knowledge Program Participant
• VR (Swedish Research Council) Grant Recipient for multiple projects including 'New Concepts in Thin Film Flow Modelling' (DNR 2014-4894) and 'Multiscale Topological Optimization for Lower Friction, Less Wear and Leakage' (DNR 2019-04293)

Almqvist serves as Editor-in-Chief for 'The Proceedings of the IMechE Part J - Journal of Engineering Tribology' since 2019 and has been involved in numerous research projects funded by both academic and industrial partners. He has supervised student projects in collaboration with academic and industrial partners and has secured significant research funding from the Swedish Research Council. His educational leadership extends to serving as program director for the Engineering Physics and Electrical Engineering program at LTU.

As director of the Center for Sports and Performance Technology (SPORTC), Almqvist leads the Ski and Snow Lab which focuses on physics at different scales related to friction in skiing. The center represents a strategic initiative at LTU to bridge engineering science with sports performance, creating a unique interdisciplinary research environment that brings together expertise from multiple departments including Machine Elements, Fluid Mechanics, and Mathematics.