Sandvik Materials Technology’s R&D Director receives Kami Prize
Olle Wijk, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D for Sandvik Materials Technology, has received the Kami Prize for his almost 30 years of pioneering research.
"It is with great pride and humility that I receive this award," says Olle Wijk.
The prize of SEK 1 M was being awarded by the Swedish Kami Foundation for the first time 2011. The purpose of the prize is to honor persons who have made significant contributions to development in the Swedish steel and metal industries, as well as the mining industry. The prize has also been created to draw attention to institutions, companies and employees who have been involved in research and development.
Olle Wijk's research deals with non-metallic slag inclusions in steel that has made the manufacture of advanced products in high-quality special steels possible.
The Kami Prize jury identifies the research results as a significant technological leap in which Olle Wijk has been one of the scientific founders.
"As the Head of R&D at Sandvik Materials Technology, Olle Wijk has infused his organization with his knowledge, and has made optimal use of his research results. The commercial successes have been obvious: During the last five years, sales of new products has increased from SEK 600 M per year to currently SEK 4 billion. For these new products, metallurgical process control is one of the prerequisites for attaining the high quality the market demands," reads the jury's statement.
Olle Wijk began his career in research at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm at the beginning of the 1970s. He received a doctorate in process metallurgy, and began working as a process developer in the field of metallurgy. From 1987 and for nine years after that, Olle Wijk was a professor in applied process metallurgy at KTH. In 1996 he returned to Sandvik, and since 2005 he has been the Vice President and Head of R&D for Sandvik Materials Technology.
Sandviken, 30 January 2011