Cooperation and human focus important for the industry's green transition

The meeting was part of the seminar series Open up for innovation and the conversation leader was Vinnova's own Jonas Brändström, head of division for Sustainable Social Development.

Under the vignette How do we create attractive societies and secure the competence for the industry's green transition? contained issues that are important to virtually all societal actors. Civil society, culture, business, the municipality and the education system were represented on the list of speakers.

The conversation was based on the change that the phasing out of fossil energy sources entails, not only for the industry itself but for the societies that have to supply the industry with labor. According to a consistent picture of what is required for a sustainable way forward, local and external forces need to work together to achieve the goals of both ecosystems and social systems.

- Here we see social change in practice. The change is the responsibility of our generation and we know that it requires a holistic view that we are involved in developing. If we are to be able to take advantage of the opportunities, we need to work together, and the whole world is looking at us right now and seeing what happens, says Darja Isaksson, Director general of Vinnova.

In addition to the need for cooperation, the social and human aspects were something that several speakers emphasized as being particularly important.

Stina Billinger, State Secretary to the Minister of Trade and Industry, emphasizes how important it is not to forget that it is man who is at the center. “By thinking even more clearly about people, and what type of society the individual wants to live in, you get to the slightly more difficult issues that we do not talk about as much at the Ministry of Trade and Industry. These are questions I take with me from this conversation. "

Prior to the seminar, Vinnova produced a film to tickle the imagination in the form of small reflections on possible futures in Norrbotten and Västerbotten ten years into the future.

Here you can see the film and the whole seminar afterwards:

Participants during the seminar: Helena Bjarnegård, National Architect, Lars Lundström, H2 Green Steel, Mikael Nordlander, Vattenfall, Anders Hvarfner, Lernia AB, Daniel Wilén, Arctic Game Lab, Carina Sammeli, Chairman of the Municipal Board. Luleå, Pär Weihed, Luleå University of Technology, Fransesca Quartey, Västerbottensteatern and Stina Billinger, State Secretary to the Minister of Trade and Industry, and Darja Isaksson, director general Vinnova.