Northern Sweden 2030, a region on the move
Northern Sweden has almost two thirds of Sweden’s surface area and one eighth of its population. It has attractive natural resources; we have the energy, the clean air, the clean water, the mountains and the sea. We also have growing regional cities. Northern Sweden has unique conditions to create the attractiveness that makes many more people want to spend their future here.
At a time when digitalization is gaining momentum and the need for physical presence is decreasing, skills are becoming more geographically borderless. This means that many people have the freedom to reconsider where they want to live. Employers want to create attractive conditions that make employees happy and companies reduce their staff turnover.
The green transition has also established itself with force. Although the journey is not straightforward, the direction is clear and the establishments that have been created, those that are in the pipeline and those that will be created mean further opportunities for growth in Norrland.
Sweden’s entry into NATO and the rearmament in the defense sector that is taking place both in Sweden and internationally create opportunities for growth in different ways. Partly through the establishment of new regiments and the expansion of the defense industry, and partly through the structural needs created by NATO membership, such as the upgrading of both roads and railways.
To create long-term population growth in northern Sweden over time, I think we need to reflect on my first paragraph. Who is attracted by the strengths and advantages that exist here? One example of those who have done so is Östersund, which is one of the cities in our region that is growing. They highlight their strengths in a good way with an active outdoor life and proximity to the mountains. There are also a number of companies that fit into this picture, such as Trangia, Woolpower and others. If you succeed well, a positive spiral is created that makes more people with the same interests want to move there. Some work digitally and establishments are created, which in turn create even greater interest, which leads to growth and satisfied residents.
If we can combine the demand for employment that is increasing in northern Sweden in the areas I have described with more people seeing the benefits of living in Norrland because it satisfies their need for quality of life, then the foundation is created that allows the positive movement to take off. Unlike large parts of Europe, we also have the space and infrastructure to grow.
Northern Sweden in 2030
The description above is an exploration of how Northern Sweden can grow in the long term. Today, the wheels have started to turn. The defense investments and the expansion of the defense industry are concrete and are a reality today. The green transition has also definitely started and already today many jobs are being created, not least in Västerbotten and Norrbotten, but it will of course take time with establishments in the form of permit processes, planning and construction.
Perhaps the most important thing of all is to find the keys to attracting people to want to live and work in different parts of northern Sweden. Creating the pull that makes families bring their digital jobs with them, or join an expanding defense industry or a green transition start-up.
2030 is only five years away and I definitely believe that we will have taken some big steps by then, but I think we are only a small part of the journey that we have the potential to make. But it’s n ot how far we’ve come in five years that is the most important thing, the most important thing is that we have started a journey with a steady direction and a clear goal that will radically change the future in northern Sweden.
Magnus Pallin, Regional Manager Real Estate & Construction Northern Region Swedbank