Sven-Erik Bucht: "The future in northern Sweden is very bright"

Sven-Erik Bucht, former Minister for Rural Affairs (2014-2019), chairs the Norrlandsnavet reference group. He believes that skills development for small and medium-sized enterprises in northern Sweden can be crucial for them to survive the green transition, and that Norrlandsnavet can contribute to it.

Sven-Erik Bucht and Ingvar Kamprad were close friends and when Ingvar visited northern Sweden he always wanted to meet with companies. The companies expressed difficulties and Ingvar wanted to do something, he wanted to start a foundation and put money into it, and he wanted Sven-Erik to run it. But when Sven-Erik was elected to Parliament in 2010, he had to call Ingvar and explain that he would not be able to continue, that there was a conflict with his parliamentary duties, and the foundation was shelved. It was the Kamprad Family Foundation that was in the starting blocks and when Norrlandsnavet was presented in August 2020, Sven-Erik was elected chairman of the reference group, and got a second chance to help Ingvar help the companies in the north.

- "It's not just a challenge for small entrepreneurs, but also for academia. It's important to find the right level to get companies on board, says Sven-Erik.

The task of the reference group is to support and stimulate Norrlandsnavet through strategic advice, views and directional proposals based on their expertise, experience and contact network. Sven-Erik sees the reference group as a strong team, and his own role as the cohesive link. At the beginning of the Norrlandsnavets existence, the reference group came with a lot of views and asked many tough questions. Now Sven-Erik feels that they are on the right track and get to influence the direction of the hub, the companies they are targeting and the geographical regions they are targeting. Norrlandsnavet is getting closer to the vision that both Sven-Erik and Ingvar had for the initiative in northern Sweden.

- "We launched Norrlandsnavet in August 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, and that obviously affected our work. We work in a needs-driven way and have put a lot of work into identifying both the needs and challenges that companies in northern Sweden have and to which Norrlandsnavet can contribute help or solutions. Now we have launched several exciting offers for small and medium-sized companies in northern Sweden, but we can also present results in the form of benefits for the companies that have already started working with us, says Marita Holst, who is the main project manager for Norrlandsnavet.

Just as Ingvar wanted, Norrlandsnavet is aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises in northern Sweden and is a development center where business challenges are turned into practical opportunities. With the help of research and training, Norrlandsnavet can give companies the opportunity to develop. Sven-Erik believes that skills development can be crucial for companies to be involved in the future. "In the green transition, where industries play a major role, smaller companies need all the skills they can get to stand a chance.

- We are facing a green revolution and the small companies will not get inside the industrial fences of the green companies if they do not also have the skills or the right certificates. That's where Norrlandsnavet comes in and can help them get the knowledge they need to stay in business," says Sven-Erik.

"The transition that is taking place in the north is major, and not just for Sweden but also internationally. When the big companies expand, the small companies can benefit from it. But Sven-Erik believes that the existing workforce is not enough and that it will not be enough to chase people in southern Sweden, but that international labor will also be needed.