Master Thesis - Development and validation of a strategic partnership dashboard

Master’s Thesis project at Tetra Pak, Lund, and Department of Design Sciences, LTH, Lund University

Background

Effective management of program and project portfolios is central to most organizations. However, gaining insightful overviews and value providing visualizations of ongoing projects and activities as well as performance measurements is still a challenge. The concept of dashboard has been used for a while to provide such overviews but not explored in relation to new AI tools that both collect, transform and visualize projects and programs as well as their performance. Furthermore, while dashboards are used internally in organizations, it is less known about these when used on partnerships between organizations.

Project Aim

This project aims to develop a program and project dashboard for industry-academia partnerships that provides effective data collection, understanding of ongoing and upcoming activities and provides performance follow-ups. Based on the established strategic partnership between Tetra Pak and Lund University, the goal is to develop and validate a project/program dashboard. 

Key Components of the Project

Objectives

• Review and evaluation of academic and grey literature on dashboards and the usage of AI in their execution.
• To develop a strategic partnership dashboard showing key parameters, for instance related to projects and activities, for the strategic partnership between Tetra Pak and Lund university, and to understand best practices and challenges.
• To validate the dashboard’s usefulness and effectiveness based on the governance and ongoing projects and activities in the partnership.
• To provide new insights and knowledge on dashboards used for industry-academic collaborations. 

Methodology:

• Conduct a comprehensive literature review of existing research on dashboards in general, and industry-academia collaborations in particular, with emphasis on AI integrations.
• Based on design science methodology, develop prototype dashboards for testing and evaluation in the strategic partnership between Tetra Pak and Lund university.
• Validate the proposed dashboard on the Tetra Pak – LU partnership to secure its applicability and refine it based on stakeholder feedback. 

Expected Outcome

This project aligns with the goals of fostering innovation and knowledge transfer in line with the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 4 (Quality Education). By providing actionable insights into the dynamics of industry-academia partnerships, this research will contribute to building more effective collaborations that drive societal progress.
This project seeks to bridge the gap between industry and academia by identifying and promoting effective strategies for collaboration based on dashboards. The findings will offer practical guidance for stakeholders to establish and sustain impactful partnerships, ultimately contributing to innovation, workforce development, and economic growth.

Timeframe and requirements

Full time, one semester, spring 2026, 30 credits.
The project requires knowledge and studies in engineering especially related to the combination of business and digitalization. 

Apply Now

Selection is made continuously, send in your application today!

If you have any questions about the project, please contact:

Tetra Pak:

Mats Qvarford

Mail: mats.qvarford@tetrapak.com

Phone: 046-363119

Lund University:

Prof. Fredrik Nilsson

Mail: fredrik.nilsson@plog.lth.se

Phone: 046-2229155

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