Olof Hjelm is a professor of environmental technology at Linköping University. His absolute passion is sustainability, and it has driven him through various projects for more than thirty years.
He has set up beautifully in the garden. A couple of blankets are hanging on the chairs, and the sun is almost peeking through the clouds.
"I think it's going to clear up soon; we can wrap these around our legs in the meantime.""Yes, people wonder how I can keep going, but the fact is that this is where the most exciting things are happening. And it's fun with new technology. There are plenty of exciting solutions to develop. We have a lot to do!"
On the table, there are bowls of freshly cut tomatoes and grapes from the vines by the terrace wall, and herbs are lined up at our feet. Hjelm's mother worked as a home economics teacher, so his love for food and gardening is not far removed from his upbringing. Some of the fruit has even been turned into their own cider – in the glasses awaits a clear liquid, sweet and refreshing.
"You're supposed to shake the cider so the pulp is distributed, but it looks more appetizing if you just serve the top layer..."
What did your career choices look like?
"I wanted to be a researcher; I knew that early on... I liked investigating things, for example, with a microscope I got as a child. We also lived in a place with meadows right outside our door, making it easy to connect with nature. The sewage treatment plant was nearby too. So, of course, I took samples of the outgoing water. And I found small, short, red fibers! Down the street, there lived a process engineer. So, my dad told him about my discoveries..."
He laughs heartily at the memory and the actions that needed to be taken. Later on, he also got a summer job there, and his interest in chemistry continued to grow. When the time came to choose university studies, the path was clear, and analytical chemistry led him to research at the Theme Institution. In 1996, he defended his thesis on "Organohalogens in coniferous forest soil."
But it was in Småland that Olof Hjelm grew up, specifically in the small town of Aneby. His father was a small business owner who initially manufactured barrels for the dairy industry but later expanded the business to become a supplier to Aneby Hus.
What did you experience there as a child?
"What I saw was a hardworking father who had a lot to do with his business. And the contribution he made by having a company that provided jobs for people was also clear. And the importance for the local community, even though I hadn't formulated it that way back then..."
But back to his mother. The beautiful, homely. Creating environments for comfort, listening in. Seeing and understanding others. Qualities that Hjelm saw in her.
"She also worked as a special education teacher. And she was in charge of the, as they were called then, 'troubled boys'..."
A few mailboxes exploded outside their house over the years, but he describes his mother as a brave woman with resilience.
A role model?
"Absolutely," the answer comes immediately.
Despite his strong presence in the conversation, he occasionally gazes around. Small, quick shadows that shouldn't be missed against the bright sky. Wings fluttering in one way or another. And he knows exactly what it is, regardless. Since the age of ten, Olof Hjelm has been a dedicated birdwatcher.
"I remember my mom taking me out... We also traveled to the mountains, Öland, and Gotland to watch birds together. She made my interest her own. Or the other way around."
What he describes is a lifelong friendship. A calmness, a certainty. Nowadays, it's his wife who occasionally shares his interest. Or at least enough to go hiking in nature together. If he needs to stop and observe too much, it's something he does in his own company or with others.
"But we spend a lot of time outdoors on weekends. And we walk. On Tinnerö just outside Linköping, among other places. We pick a lot of mushrooms with our adult children and don't mind covering many kilometers under our boots."
Why birdwatching?
"It's the unexpected and the complexity. And the birds are very beautiful! There's also something about the nerdiness that really interests me... Plus, you never know, there COULD be a bird there that has flown a thousand miles off course. I've experienced that, for instance, once in the United Arab Emirates many years ago. We didn't understand what it was, a very large black bird. And we were a group of skilled birdwatchers scratching our puzzled heads. Then we started unraveling it and concluded that it was an African bird that had either ended up completely off course or - possibly - escaped from a zoo. And that is incredibly fascinating."
If you were to put into words what you find most important in your professional life...
"Then it's that others should succeed; that's the most important thing for me. Of course, I have enough ego to want credit for what I've done. But the important thing is that others succeed. That's how it is."
And then something flutters by; time is up, and he waves goodbye, fully present but always with an inner eye toward the possibly silhouette-blessed sky.
TEXT :ANNA WALLENTIN
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