The Department of Industrial Electrical Engineering and Automation (IEA) started its current doctoral education and research in 1987. The IEA profile is quite unique for Sweden, since the main feature is the combination of automation, electric drive systems and electrical power systems.

LTH, Faculty of Engineering underwent an organisational change with a reduction in the number of departments in an earlier period. As part of the restructuring, the Department of IEA was merged with two other departments into a new department. The new Department of Biomedical Engineering, established in 2014, consists of the divisions of Biomedical Engineering, Engineering Geology and IEA.