Together we make a difference!
We are now in our seventh year with Bünsow Business Growth Forum. In early August 2019, I met the initiators – an enthusiastic Bengt-Göran Persson together with Stig Wiklund from Sparbankstiftelsen Norrland and Magnus Pallin from Swedbank. I immediately fell in love with their vision: to create a forum focused on entrepreneurship, a hot meeting place where business and ideas could flourish. They needed a project manager and asked me. Of course I said yes! The challenge? The event was to take place in October that year. I had two and a half months to create a brand new event from scratch.
As a project manager, I have learned the importance of clearly defining the mission, knowing who my resources are and the timeline. The mission? To create a forum that lived up to the vision of the initiators. The resources? Five partners who had already accepted, some speakers, and myself with my network. The schedule was tight, to say the least. There were a few unfortunates flying around saying I was crazy to jump on the mission. But I believed in the idea, I had experience of creating unique and creative events and, above all, I was convinced that more people would see the need for this type of forum and would certainly also want to contribute to our region.
It was an intense few weeks, but what a feeling when we finally opened the doors and welcomed over 300 guests to the premiere of the Bünsow Business Growth Forum. I look back on that start with pride – that so many companies and organizations believed in us, that they were willing to invest in something that did not yet exist. It was brave of them, and it is thanks to our partners that we have been able to make this journey.
Today, Bünsow has around seventy companies, municipalities, Mid Sweden University and the region as partners. Sold out year after year. We have also created Unga Bünsow, a fantastic meeting place where university students meet the region’s employers and receive concrete offers of internships, degree assignments and jobs.
I feel proud and happy when I think about what we have built together – a partnership where so many people contribute.
One of my favorite movies is A Beautiful Mind, about the mathematician John Nash. His equilibrium theory has influenced not only game theory, but also economics, international trade and politics. More than twenty years ago, I worked at Skanska with Anna Rhodin, who researched Nash’s theory as a basis for partnering in the construction sector. Since then, Nash’s ideas on partnering have been a guiding light for me.
Partnering is a powerful method for change. Can we apply it on an even larger scale? More actors, broader collaboration – with a common goal of developing our business while lifting the whole of northern Sweden. Imagine a future where northern Sweden is a magnet for creative people and entrepreneurs from around the world. A place where technology, talent and tolerance come together to create innovation and growth.
Northern Sweden has always been a region where people dare to take risks. If we want to lead development, we need to continue to be brave. We need to make bold decisions in innovation, collaboration and sustainability. Above all, we need a strong partnership where more people are involved and contribute to the vision: that northern Sweden will not only be part of the global transition – we will be a leader in it. We have the resources, we have the opportunities and we have the will.
The question is: How do we join forces to get there by 2030?
Maria Åslin, Project Manager Bünsow Business Growth Forum