On July 6, we organized a Dalarna Talks from Visby on the theme - Dalarna as Sweden's future growth region. 200 people participated on site and via live broadcast and many continue to watch afterwards on the recording that you will find below.
We have all been able to follow the news about billion-dollar investments in the northernmost parts of Sweden. But for some time now, we have also been pleased to see a corresponding gradual increase in willingness to invest in Dalarna.
In Vansbro, Lyko continues to expand, both through additional acquisitions and by tripling its already large warehouse. Orkla Foods is investing in new production lines and hiring. Älvdalen's mountain destinations are growing like crazy with development in Idre Fjäll, Idre Himmelfjäll and Fjätervålen, the latter via Serneke with the ambition of becoming the Nordic region's most sustainable mountain destination. SSAB is speeding up the transition to produce steel without coal, leading to new investments in Borlänge. Hitachi Energy has landed major orders that mean around 800 new jobs for Dalarna and a new manufacturing unit in Smedjebacken. Google is planning to build a plant in Horndal. As most people know, Northvolt is setting up in Kvarnsveden paper mill's premises in Borlänge, which is also leading to new establishment requests and interest in the whole of Dalarna.
The focus of the seminar was to understand how this development has been possible, to explore the potential in Dalarna and to understand what is needed to ensure that these investments now become reality and that the investments continue to accrue to Dalarna.
- It is great to see that so many people were interested in discussing these issues with us. We have a great responsibility to ensure that these investments are feasible and that new establishments get the nourishment they need. The discussions raised many of the important issues we now need to work on. Everything from energy issues, opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises, construction of new housing, skills enhancement activities and how we attract more people to move to our county. It's time for all of us to roll up our sleeves and understand how we can contribute to this development," says Dalarna Science Park's CEO, Angelica Ekholm.
The opening speaker was the chairman of the Committee on Economic Affairs, who spoke about the state's work on issues affecting Dalarna's development.
- It is extremely gratifying to see how Dalarna is growing on various fronts. Old industry is becoming new industry in the green transition. After the pandemic, the tourism industry is ready to shift into the next gear and is attracting new capital for new developments. New companies are emerging and becoming Sweden's leaders thanks to fantastic entrepreneurs. Rarely has the task of politics to fix the baseline for all this to be given good conditions been greater and more important. It's about infrastructure worthy of the name, so that goods and freight can leave here and visitors can travel here. It is about access to stable, reliable and carbon dioxide-free electricity, and it is about the importance of ensuring that development does not get bogged down in lengthy and inhibiting permit processes. In Dalarna, there is the drive for more development - now the politicians must deliver better on their side of the plan, says Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M), Chairman of the Committee on Enterprise and Innovation.
Participants
- Carl-Oskar Bohlin (m), Chairman, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
- Annette Rhudin, Growth Leader/Chair of the Navigator Foundation
- Viktoria Karsberg, VP Head of Corporate Identity and Communications, SSAB
- Tom Thörnblom, Head of Communications & Sustainability, Lyko
- Ola Serneke, CEO, Serneke Invest AB
- Tobias Degsell, visionary of the future
- Angelica Ekholm, CEO, Dalarna Science Park
Watch Dalarna Talks from Almedalen afterwards
