Three-year agreement provides more than 16,000 teachers, researchers, and students at Sweden's Royal Institute of Technology access to the leading multiphysics simulation software
KTH, the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, has entered into a three-year agreement with Comsol to provide access to multiphysics-based computer modeling and simulation to all students and staff at each of KTH's schools of science, engineering, and technology.
The large-scale site license, in effect from now until 2011, will enable more than 16,000 teachers, researchers, and students to conduct simulations of real-world engineering and scientific problems with the latest versions of the Comsol Multiphysics scientific-software environment and the Comsol Script technical programming language.
Since 1998, KTH has used Comsol software to increase students' understanding of fundamental physics and to introduce them to new skills for solving practical engineering problems.
Through this new agreement, students at KTH will be trained on the identical versions of software used at top technology organisations worldwide for research and product development in areas as diverse as nanotechnology and space exploration.
The driving force behind the site license agreement was Goran Kallgren, whose responsibilities as head of KTH Central Administration include software sourcing.
"It's a strength for KTH to access cutting-edge software," said Kallgren.
"Because of the different needs and various natures of KTH's departments, a broad scope of capabilities in the product offering is crucial.
"This enables great flexibility and less administrative work.
"Another important prerequisite is the continuity; the opportunity to use the software needs to be there over a longer period of time.
"Both conditions are generously met with this agreement with Comsol".
Du Sichen, a professor of micromodeling in metallurgical processes at the department of materials science and engineering (MSE), is a frequent user of Comsol, applying multiphysics simulation in both his teaching and research.
"The software suits the time frame of the undergraduate courses and the capabilities of our master students at MSE," says Sichen.
"It helps the students to see the link between the fundamental equations and the reality.
"It is a useful tool for my teaching and our students' study.
"It is also of great help for the researchers doing mass transfer and heat transfer studies but having limited project time".
The director of sales of Comsol, Per Backlund, helped KTH tailor the site license to fit the university's large user base.
"Multiphysics capabilities are crucial for realistic simulations of today's complex problems.
"KTH was among the first adopting the new technology and starting the worldwide trend towards multiphysics modeling and simulation," says Backlund.
"The three-year agreement further strengthens our relationship with KTH.
"It's very exciting to see new generations of KTH graduates enter into their successful careers equipped with valuable knowledge on how to use modern simulation tools," concludes Backlund.
