The Ore Trail, mineral rush and land conflicts – hot questions at Norra Scen in Almedalen

How do we ensure competitiveness and security in Europe? Who should take the risk and who should share in the profits when the industry changes? How can we better manage conflicts around land use? Welcome to Norra Scen in Almedalen – this is where the most important perspectives meet, from mining to space.

Norra Scen is a collaboration between Region Norrbotten, the mining and minerals group LKAB and Luleå University of Technology. For the fourth year in a row, we are focusing on the most important issues of our time. On June 24, we will open our arena for conversations about the challenges that are being faced at their peak in Norrbotten, but are a concern for all of Sweden.

In Norrbotten, the industrial transition has long since left the drawing board. The new establishments are growing day by day. They hold enormous socio-economic opportunities for Sweden – but is society the enabler it should be? The municipalities are left alone with great risk and responsibility. The infrastructure, housing and energy are not enough. Land conflicts are growing.

Fiskargränd 5 in Visby is a popular meeting place during Almedalen Week.

“Put issues on the agenda”

At Norra Scen, politics and business come together with academia to discuss solutions to the problems that threaten Swedish competitiveness and social development.

- Norrbotten contributes a lot to Sweden as a country, and has the potential to contribute even more. But the county also grapples with challenges that it is the concern of all of Sweden to solve. Our participation in Almedalen is about getting issues on the agenda, raising and deepening knowledge about our county, and ultimately achieving a policy that is good for both Norrbotten and the development of all of Sweden, says Anders Öberg (S), chairman of the regional board of Region Norrbotten.

Meeting place for conversations

Norra Scen – arena for green transition was first organized in the summer of 2022. The aim was to create a meeting place where knowledge is deepened, conversations are held and networks are built. This year too there will be interesting panel discussions, where the participants share knowledge, insights and perspectives. We once again invite you to the appreciated roundtable discussions where everyone can participate.

Karin Hübinette is the moderator again this year and will, among other things, lead roundtable discussions.

- We have a unique opportunity to use our mineral resources to combine climate benefits with economic growth, accelerate electrification and strengthen security in Sweden and Europe. But then infrastructure such as a robust railway and access to competitive electricity must also be in place. This is a vulnerability for Sweden that must be addressed, says Jan Moström, President and CEO of LKAB.

On the North Stage, the seminars will touch on the global mineral rush, critical infrastructure, space research, security of supply, security policy, the role of culture in societal transformation and many other issues that shape tomorrow's Sweden. The stage at Fiskargränd 5 will be visited by business leaders, researchers, debaters, representatives of civil society, the Swedish Armed Forces, members of parliament, the Swedish representation of the EU Commission and representatives of the state and government.

“Space research and land conflicts”

– This year, the university's seminars focus on future space research and land conflicts in the green transition. Two areas that are highly topical and where research from Luleå University of Technology can play a key role. I look forward to fruitful conversations about these important issues, says Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn, Vice-Chancellor at Luleå University of Technology.

Region Norrbotten offers all the county's municipalities a scheme to facilitate presence at Almedalen. This year, ten out of fourteen municipalities have chosen to attend to be seen, heard, create relationships and meet decision-makers.

The entire program is available at Utveckla Norrbotten where the seminars are also livestreamed: Norrbotten in Almedalen - Develop Norrbotten
LKAB's Almedalen page: https://lkab.com/almedalen/
Luleå University of Technology's Almedalen page: www.ltu.se/almedalen