Interview with Bodil Hansson, Chairman of the Municipal Executive Board, Municipality of Sundsvall.
A lot is happening in Sundsvall and in the region with everything from investments in hydrogen gas to new establishments and investments. What role does the green transition play in the initiatives being undertaken?
– Sweden has embarked on a historic green transition and it is thanks to industry’s innovation and green investments that this is possible. We see several important examples of this in Västernorrland, where we are well on the way to becoming a national hub for the production of green fuel and the recycling of textiles.
One initiative that is clearly linked to the Bünsow theme of ‘Green opportunities in northern Sweden’ is the Logistics Park. Tell us more about the sustainable perspective that exists for that work.
– The investments taking place in our region mean a huge increase in transport needs. Coping with this increase requires efficient and sustainable infrastructure. Therefore, we are building Sundsvall Logistics Park, a transport hub that connects road, rail and sea, which will make Sundsvall an even more important transport node not only in the region, but also nationally and internationally.
We have now also signed a contract with Annehem Fastigheter, which will be the first to establish itself. The ambition is to develop a modern and sustainable logistics facility of approximately 28,000 square meters with a planned construction start in the first quarter of 2023.
Recently, Sundsvall and Timrå municipality have been working together to attract new establishments. Tell us more about the cooperation and how you will work in the future to attract new businesses to the region.
– Just over a year ago, we started an intensive effort to bring a battery factory to our region. We cooperated between Sundsvall and Timrå in a way that we have not done before. We decided right then and there that the important thing is that the Sundsvall region gets a major industrial establishment and the administrative boundaries of the municipalities are of secondary interest.We came a long way in that process, but we didn’t get all the way there. To be even better prepared next time, we are now taking further steps to develop Torsboda Industri Park and prepare the site for an establishment. We know that time is often of the essence in a major establishment and competition is fierce.
Because there will be a next time. Europe needs to build up to 40 battery factories in the next five years to make the transition to electric cars. We know that Torsboda is an extremely strong site with great advantages, not least the access to green electricity. We are now working together with Härnösand Municipality, High Coast Invest and Business Sweden to sell the site and to attract one or more establishments here. The aim is to create at least 2000 new jobs on the site.
Sundsvall has a clear future target of 5000 new jobs by 2030. How is that work going?
– The strength of having a clear goal is that the municipality, together with our partners, has a completely different focus on growth than before. Both access to business land and the logistics park are important pieces of the puzzle for success. But the biggest challenge today is access to the right skills. Many companies and sectors have great difficulty in recruiting employees with the right skills. We need to focus heavily on recruiting skills and increasing migration to our region, and we need to be creative and think outside the box.
What do you think the Bünsow Business Growth Forum brings to Sundsvall and our region?
– It is an important meeting place for networking that contributes to increased interest in Västernorrland and the Sundsvall region. It is when people come together that development is created.
What are your expectations for this year’s edition of Bünsow?
– This year’s edition will be expanded and more events created. Meetings and panel discussions take place the night before. This year’s edition further develops Bünsow as an important growth arena for the region.