Collaboration key as northern Sweden takes the lead in green transition

It is now well known that there are resources in north that Sweden and Europe need in order to transform. Both large and small companies have chosen to locate in the area. One example is the defence industry in Örnsköldsvik, which is developing rapidly.

A regional resource that is not so often highlighted in this context is the strong social capital. This is the view of Jonas Joelsson, Research and Business developer at RISE in Umeå. 

– The region holds the keys to the development that the whole of Europe needs to make. It is certainly about natural resources in the form of green energy, forests, clean water and minerals, but it is also about the social capital. There is a high level of trust in the system among residents, and when there is a list of the best places to live in Sweden, all the cities in northern Sweden are in top 15, he says: 

– At a time when social divisions and polarisation are major problems, it is a great advantage to be able to build on the trust that exists in Sweden and especially in the north. The social fabric is a European issue. In building sustainable, inclusive and attractive cities, wherever they are, the cultural and social sectors play an important role in creating attractiveness and cohesion.

"A virtual million city"

The North Sweden European Office, an association of regional actors in Norrbotten, Västerbotten, Jämtland Härjedalen and Västernorrland, describes how the region is considered part of the European Arctic with the most sparsely populated population structure in the EU – and at the same time has one of the strongest innovation systems in the Union, with an attractive urban environment. 

– I like to describe our region as a European systems demonstrator or mega testbed. The region as a whole has a current population of 900,000, and there has been talk of an increase of 100,000 in the context of the initiatives. That is a total of one million people, a virtual million city, you might say. The view of northern Sweden as a single entity gives the actors here more peace of mind and security in the face of change, says Albert Edman, Senior Project Manager at RISE in Umeå.

Individually, cities and municipalities would struggle to implement the infrastructure projects needed to keep the green industrialisation wave going, but together – united as a virtual city of millions - there is a completely different capacity.

RISE has taken on the role of facilitator and platform builder in northern Sweden to make it easier for public and private actors to work together and make joint decisions.  

Common strategy sets the framework for the future

A concrete example of "million city thinking" in action is "Thriving Northern Cities", where Luleå, Umeå, Örnsköldsvik, Östersund and Sundsvall have worked together to develop a strategy for sustainable urban development in the participating cities and in northern Sweden as a whole. One of the strategic goals is to build resource-efficient, climate-friendly and attractive buildings in order to attract people and, not least, investors who are committed to sustainable development.

Albert Edman gives an insight into what the discussions are about at the time of writing.

– In the past, the discussions were about attracting talents, but now the agenda is about retaining talents, i.e. keeping those who are already here. If jobs are lost in one of the larger companies, the region does not want to lose the people who have moved here from outside Europe. It is therefore crucial that other cities in the North are ready to receive and employ these talents as a city of millions.

Continuing to collaborate and mobilise around challenges such as talent retention is essential for sustainable urban development and as a crucial link in Europe's transformation.

– Adopting new ways of working and new knowledge is costly. It is much easier if you can do it effectively together. We are of course working with companies on technical development in detail, but the role of helping to create a structure for cooperation in the North is particularly important for the future, says Albert Edman.