Nilsson has been a member of the ISO TC 92/SC4, developing standards for fire safety engineering since 2014.

[1][2] Nilsson has made contributions to the field of fire safety through his research, teaching, and leadership in the industry, focusing on evacuation dynamics and debunking the myth of panic.

[4][5][6] Nilsson is originally from Lund (Sweden), where he spent most of his life before moving to New Zealand in 2018.

In April 2013, he attained the title of Docent in Fire Safety Engineering from Lund University.

Nilsson has been involved in numerous high-profile projects, including leading the "Changing evacuation behaviour to meet densified housing needs for our current and future population" BRANZ project from 2023 to 2025.