Connecting international industry with local startups

Industry needs to find innovative and sustainable technologies and solutions to the challenges it faces. At the same time, there are many smaller startups and companies looking for business opportunities for their new products and services. Collab aims to bring the big and the small together. It will take place in the science parks in northern Sweden, in Piteå, Luleå and Skellefteå.

"I see a great opportunity to attract both large and small international companies to our test and development environments. In the long term, we believe that this will lead to more establishments of innovative companies in northern Sweden, but also that the companies already here can increase their production and find new customers and partners", says Jens Lundström, CEO of Arctic Business. 

The most interesting industries in the north are energy, space, forestry, composites and raw materials. The first industry to focus on is composites, where Arctic Business has conducted a feasibility study in 2022. In Piteå, there is already a cluster of companies in composites in Öjebyn, where several new products, materials and methods have been developed. Collab now wants to attract more companies to work with the expertise and infrastructure in composites that already exists in Piteå.

"In the composite village there are currently world-leading producers and research in fiber composites. We are working to get more companies in the industry to establish themselves in northern Sweden and Collab creates good conditions for this", says Henrik Bucht, CEO of Piteå Science Park.

Arctic Business is now launching the Collab concept in composites together with Piteå Science Park. Later, they will go further and collaborate with Luleå Science Park and Skellefteå Science Park in other industries.

The financiers behind the feasibility study conducted last year are Piteå Municipality, Sparbanken Nord, Tillväxtverket and Region Norrbotten. 

Facts:
Arctic Business helps entrepreneurs develop ideas with growing business nationally and internationally from northern Sweden. Since 2005, Arctic Business has worked with over 180 companies that today are valued at over two billion SEK. The business is currently located in Luleå, Piteå and Skellefteå. The business is owned by LTU Holding, Norrlandsfonden, Region Norrbotten, Luleå municipality, Skellefteå Industrihus AB and Piteå municipality.

Lennart Håkansson

editor@northswedenbusiness.com