Pelle Jonsson

Pelle Jonsson has been a Senior Researcher within Operations and Maintenance (O&M) at VTI since September 2025, with a focus on resilience, energy and security. Pelle previously worked at VTI as a researcher between 2006 and 2008 and has now returned after almost two decades in the private sector.

His doctoral thesis, entitled Urban Climate and Air Quality in Tropical Cities, was completed in 2005 following around ten fieldwork periods in African cities. During this time, an interest in air quality – particularly airborne particles – was developed. This was, and remains, a prominent research field at VTI and was the reason why the institute became his first employer after completing his PhD.

Following his initial employment at VTI, Pelle held various managerial roles at the consultancy firms WSP, Tyréns and Ramboll, as well as working in business development within the energy sector. His areas of expertise have therefore spanned community development, urban development, energy issues and transport.

In his new role at VTI, the aim is to further develop the O&M research area, with particular emphasis on resilience. This research focus is a response to an increasing number of severe natural events, the deteriorating security situation in Sweden, and the country’s vulnerabilities and responsibilities following Sweden’s accession to NATO. Against this backdrop, the Swedish Transport Administration has been tasked with placing greater emphasis on operations and maintenance during the upcoming planning period (2026–2038). The research will address the anticipated need for transport infrastructure to become more resilient.

It is inspiring to once again work with research initiatives in public service. I believe that broad experience such as mine can be of great value in this field.”

As an initial step in this new direction, research needs have been explored through extensive information gathering involving researchers and public officials across the sector. This review of stakeholder and societal needs has identified several potential research projects.