# Acreo

> Swedish research institute in electronics , optics and communications

**Wikidata**: [Q10400040](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10400040)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/acreo

## Summary
Acreo is a Swedish research institute based in Kista, specializing in the fields of electronics, optics, and communications. It operates as a dedicated research organization, distinct from universities or commercial companies, and is identified in global research databases with specific identifiers.

## Key Facts
- **Type**: Research institute (organization whose primary purpose is research)
- **Location**: Kista, Sweden
- **Fields of specialization**: Electronics, optics, and communications
- **GRID ID**: grid.423631.1
- **Ringgold ID**: 172289
- **Official website**: http://www.acreo.se/
- **Instance of**: Research institute
- **Sitelink count**: 1
- **Wikipedia language edition**: Swedish (sv)
- **Wikidata description**: "Swedish research institute in electronics, optics and communications"

## FAQs
**What is Acreo's primary research focus?**  
Acreo specializes in research within electronics, optics, and communications. These are its core technical domains as stated in its Wikidata description.

**Where is Acreo physically located?**  
Acreo is located in Kista, Sweden. This location is recorded in the GRID database entry for the institute.

**How is Acreo classified as an organization?**  
Acreo is classified as a research institute, meaning its sole purpose is conducting research. This distinguishes it from universities, which combine teaching and research, and from companies, which pursue research for commercial ends.

**What official identifiers are associated with Acreo?**  
Acreo is identified in global research databases with a GRID ID (grid.423631.1) and a Ringgold ID (172289). Its official website is http://www.acreo.se/, and it has a dedicated entry in the Swedish Wikipedia.

## Why It Matters
Acreo represents a dedicated research institute model focused on applied technology in electronics, optics, and communications—fields critical to Sweden's innovation ecosystem. As a pure research entity, it can concentrate resources on systematic investigation without the teaching obligations of universities or the profit pressures of corporations. This allows it to pursue long-term, specialized inquiry that supports advancements in areas like telecommunications, photonics, and electronic systems. Its presence in Kista, a known technology hub, situates it within a broader context of Swedish technical research and industry collaboration. While its Wikipedia presence is currently limited to Swedish, its inclusion in authoritative databases like GRID and Ringgold confirms its recognition within international research infrastructure networks.

## Notable For
- **Specialized technical focus**: Dedicated exclusively to research in electronics, optics, and communications.
- **Geographic specificity**: Located in Kista, Sweden, a district known for information and communication technology.
- **Database recognition**: Assigned unique, persistent identifiers in global research organization databases (GRID and Ringgold).
- **National-level documentation**: Has a Wikipedia entry only in Swedish, indicating its primary recognition within Sweden rather than globally.
- **Organizational purity**: Functions as a standalone research institute, not as a university department or corporate R&D lab.

## Body
### Overview and Classification
Acreo is formally classified as a research institute. This means its primary, defining purpose is to conduct systematic investigation to generate new knowledge, separate from entities that combine research with other functions like teaching or commercial product development. Its specific domain is electronics, optics, and communications, placing it within the applied sciences and engineering research sector.

### Location and Geographic Identification
The institute is physically situated in Kista, Sweden. This location is a key factual attribute, recorded in the GRID (Global Research Identifier Database) entry for the organization. Kista is a municipality in the Stockholm region known as a major center for information and communication technology (ICT) in Scandinavia.

### Organizational Identifiers and Digital Footprint
Acreo is registered in several authoritative research and library databases. It holds the GRID ID `grid.423631.1`, which is a standard identifier for research organizations worldwide. It also has a Ringgold ID (`172289`), another system used to uniquely identify institutions in the scholarly community. Its official web presence is at `http://www.acreo.se/`. In terms of linked open data and knowledge base sitelinks, it has a count of 1, and its Wikipedia coverage is currently limited to the Swedish language edition (`sv`). Its Wikidata entry provides the concise description: "Swedish research institute in electronics, optics and communications."

### Distinction from Related Organizational Forms
As a research institute, Acreo fits the defined profile of an organization existing solely for research. This differentiates it from:
- **Universities**: Which integrate research with undergraduate and graduate education.
- **Companies**: Which conduct research primarily to support commercial product development and intellectual property generation.
- **Think tanks**: Which typically focus on policy-oriented research aimed at influencing government and public debate, rather than fundamental or applied scientific inquiry across all disciplines.
- **Scientific societies/learned societies**: Which are membership-based organizations for professionals, not operational entities conducting hands-on research projects.
- **Research centers**: Which are often sub-units or departments within larger institutions like universities or hospitals, rather than independent standalone institutes.

### Context within the Research Institute Landscape
While the general concept of a "research institute" is widely recognized—with Wikipedia articles on the topic in 41 languages—Acreo itself has a more nationally contained digital footprint, documented in one language. This suggests its operational prominence and public documentation are primarily within Sweden. Its assignment of standard research organization identifiers (GRID, Ringgold) places it within the formal infrastructure used by funders, publishers, and bibliometric databases to track research outputs and affiliations globally. Its specific technological focus aligns with Sweden's historical strengths in telecommunications and engineering.

## References

1. GRID Release 2017-01-10
2. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions