Eastern Norrbotten – part of the county's social transformation

In the wake of Norrbotten's major industrial transformation in the establishment municipalities, even the smaller municipalities are struggling to achieve a sustainable social transformation. Region Norrbotten's strategist Stina Almkvist visited Övertorneå and Haparanda and learned about both the future and the challenges.

The 5-meter-high Sikhåvar statue at Kukkolaforsen, by Erik Vargtand. Photo: Stina Almkvist

These municipalities are also affected in different ways by issues such as housing, commuting, energy and staffing challenges. Here are Stina Almkvist's impressions and reflections.

In Övertorneå, the whole community talks about how they are feeling

Last year, Övertorneå municipality started a work on starting to talk about how you feel, both at work and in leisure time. It was a different, brave and welcome initiative, as it turns out when we gather to follow up and talk about the future.

The work was started under the North Sweden Green Deal project. The plan was to create a local commitment to well-being and try to make it a natural part of how people think about and act on their well-being. This in turn would develop and strengthen the attractiveness and recipient capacity of the community. It would not be the measurement itself that was in focus, but the reflections and conversations that have now begun to become part of everyday life in Övertorneå.

The wrestling club in Övertorneå is one of the associations that testifies that their active young people have started to talk more openly about health and well-being thanks to the initiative.

During our workshop this week, it became clear that part of the success is due to the fact that the municipality already had a good relationship with local entrepreneurs before the investment. For example, Övertorneå won the 2022 award for best growth in Norrbotten, conducted by the credit assessment company Syna.

Front row: Victoria Henriksson, Chief of Staff, Oona Palonkangas, Culture & Leisure Manager, Ella Jonsson, Innovation Manager/Consultant, Driftwind, Stina Almkvist, Strategist, Region Norrbotten, Ida Brännström, Business Developer Katarina Lindberg, School Director. First row: Niklas Berg, Business Development/Consultant, Tailorbird, Tomas Mörtberg, Municipal Councilor, Cris Brolin, Community Development.

The municipality's business development officer, Ida Brännström, described how the municipality cares about the companies with regular conversations and arranging pizza nights. This is probably one of the reasons why several of the local companies have chosen to be part of the initiative around the municipality's well-being.

Four out of five companies need to hire people, so the municipality must continue to grow and develop. This must be solved in collaboration between the public sector, business and associations.

Last year, there was an increase in the number of people moving into the municipality, mainly families with children. On March 20, the municipality is arranging a happiness day for the community, which will become an annual event. It is inspired by the UN resolution on an international day for happiness and health. The work on the well-being of the community in Övertorneå has now spread across the country and aroused curiosity, most recently from Nacka. The hope is to be able to continue the work and that more municipalities will be able to share experiences and adapt it to their own circumstances.

Ida Brännström presents a roll-up about the municipality's focus on well-being.

A 50-year-old Nordic educational institution

Övertorneå municipality also houses Utbildning Nord, with its tailor-made vocational training for northern Sweden, Norway and Finland. Utbildning Nord has a fifty-year history behind it and fully delivers in the face of the great needs of societal transformation in healthcare, IT and craft professions.

We talk about what one might think will be the effect of the growing need for increased preparedness in Sweden. We also meet one of the students in the nursing program, which has predominantly male students. It is interesting considering that the industry attracts a lot of women from health, care and social services. On the walking tour, we meet students from Stockholm, Egypt and Skåne alongside people from Norrbotten.

Visiting Education Nord. Leif Lahti, Director, Stina Almkvist, Strategist Norrbotten Region and Leif Pääjärvi, Education Strategist. Photo: Ella Jonsson.

Haparanda and new train route as a possibility

Last week, the regional development department of Haparanda City and the Spolander family of companies that run the Kukkolaforsen facility met. In addition to opportunities for business and investment support and project support, wishes and thoughts about the future were discussed. Both Martin Spolander and Roger Danell, municipal director, highlighted the potential that exists in highlighting and making more of the Tornedalen culture visible. Haparanda is so much more than the image of commerce that dominates today.

The county's low level of food security and the potential that may exist in both small-scale and industrial farming and animal husbandry, based on the fertile conditions of the Tornedalen, were highlighted.

Martin also gave us an idea of how a war far away can affect a company in the hospitality industry. Before the war between Israel and Gaza, they had a lot of Israeli tourists, which has now decreased significantly.

Kukkolaforsen has had some challenging years with the pandemic and conflicts in the world affecting the tourism industry. Photo: Anita Johansson

Challenges around logistics and transport were raised. The good news is that from 2025 you will be able to travel by train from Luleå to Helsinki, by electrifying the route from Kemi to Haparanda. The track widths in the countries are different, so you will have to change trains at the border. It is hoped that the new route will attract between 50 and 000 new passengers annually, which in turn should bring great new development opportunities for Eastern Norrbotten.

Text: Stina Almkvist