Anna Björklund and Laura Äkräs at the heart of SEED at KTH – the kitchen. This is where everything happens, from information meetings to casual chats. (Photo: Cameron Kennett)
Prospective life cycle assessment for the future
The primary research focus for Anna Björklund and Laura Äkräs is the prospective life cycle assessment (pLCA) of novel chemical materials and processes, being developed in Mistra SafeChem case studies. pLCA explores the potential impacts of materials and processes in future scenarios, to identify and avoid unintended consequences.
Laura Äkräs entered the sustainability research through her doctoral studies at Aalto University, Finland, having completed her master’s degree in chemical engineering with a focus on renewable materials as well as fiber and polymer engineering. For her PhD, she examined sustainability characteristics of bio-based plastics and composites in their early stages of development, utilising methodologies such as life cycle assessment (LCA), multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) analysis, and selected private law instruments. Since August 2025, she has worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering (SEED) at KTH.
Anna Björklund also has a background in chemical engineering. She has specialised in LCA since her doctoral studies, initially focusing on waste management and resource recovery. As a professor in environmental strategic analysis, she is now involved in various projects in which pLCA is applied to assess novel and emerging technologies in the early stages of development.
Involved in four case studies
In Mistra SafeChem, Laura and Anna collaborate with four case studies, including the synthesis and recycling of heterogeneous catalysts, the production of thermosets from lignin, and the valorisation of post-consumer textiles. They aim to support the early-stage development of novel, safer, and more sustainable chemicals by first using laboratory-scale LCA and later by developing pLCA to assess the potential environmental impacts of novel materials and processes in future production scenarios.
– The biggest value of working within Mistra SafeChem is the opportunity to collaborate with researchers from various disciplines and conduct multidisciplinary research. Close collaboration with experts in the case studies is not only necessary for meaningful environmental assessment – it is also lots of fun and inspiring! This joint and interdisciplinary effort has substantial potential to benefit academia, industry, and society, both Laura and Anna emphasise.
Applying the pLCA frameworks to possible up-scaling of processes
Laura and Anna have started planning their collaboration with case studies in terms of learning about the materials and processes, discussing key issues to investigate, formulating initial research plans, and conducting preliminary literature and data screening. The next steps will be to compile the necessary inventory data from the laboratory experiments, followed by applying the pLCA frameworks to both the possible up-scaling of novel processes and investigating their performance in possible future scenarios.
Ultimately, Laura and Anna hope to be able to suggest some useful tools or frameworks to other LCA practitioners working in the field of green chemistry.
This text is from Mistra SafeChem's annual report for 2025. Read the full annual report here. pdf, 9 MB, opens in new window.