Social Resilience and Workforce Development for Sustainable Social Responsibility in the Metal and Mineral Industry, SORESS-MMI

SORESS-MMI develops and tests models for social sustainability, workforce supply, and regional attractiveness in mining and industry-dependent communities in northern Sweden. Researchers in Human work science at Luleå University of Technology contribute expertise in organisation, collaboration, social resilience, and the social dimensions of industrial transition.

About the Project

The industrial transition in northern Sweden is creating new jobs and a significant need for skilled workers. At the same time, it is affecting the communities where these industrial initiatives are being implemented. For the transition to be sustainable in the long term, it requires not only technical solutions and access to a workforce, but also attractive living environments, social cohesion, local participation, and effective collaboration between industry and society.

The SORESS-MMI project—Social Resilience and Skills Supply for Sustainable Social Responsibility in the Metal and Mineral Industries—aims to test and further develop models that strengthen social sustainability, skills supply, and regional attractiveness in mining and industry-related communities in northern Sweden. The overall goal is to contribute to inclusive, secure, and resilient communities that can meet the workforce and societal needs arising from the green industrial transition.

The project is based on the premise that the supply of skilled labour and the attractiveness of a location must be understood as interconnected issues. The ability to attract and retain talent is influenced not only by the labour market but also by factors such as the living environment, inclusion, social networks, trust, and people’s opportunities to feel a sense of belonging and participate in the local community.

Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of the project is to strengthen social sustainability in northern Sweden’s mining and industrial regions by developing forms of collaboration between industry, the public sector, academia, and civil society. The project aims to help these stakeholders better address common challenges related to the supply of skilled labor, regional attractiveness, and social cohesion.

The project’s objectives are to:

• strengthen the supply of skilled labour in mining and industry-related communities
• increase the attractiveness of these communities for people who already live there and for those considering moving there
• test and further develop existing models for social sustainability and the supply of skilled labour
• develop long-term collaboration structures between industry, public sector actors, academia, and civil society
• strengthen inclusion, local participation, and the relationship between industry and the surrounding community.

Implementation

The project combines needs analysis, method development, and practical testing. The work is carried out through surveys, workshops, focus groups, co-creative methodology development, and pilot initiatives in participating municipalities. Models and tools are developed and adapted in collaboration with local stakeholders to ensure that the results are relevant and applicable in practice.

The work is organised into five main components:

1. project management and coordination
2. stakeholder engagement and needs analysis
3. method and model development
4. pilot initiatives and test environments
5. implementation support and dissemination.

Through this approach, the project aims to build knowledge about both what needs to be done to strengthen social sustainability and the supply of skilled labour, and how different stakeholders can organise and carry out this work together.

Luleå University of Technology’s contribution

Luleå University of Technology’s contribution is being carried out within the research field of work science. Eugenia Segerstedt and Erik Lund are contributing work science expertise on social resilience, organisation, and collaboration in communities affected by industrial transition.

Luleå University of Technology’s contribution is specifically focused on:

• examine the organisational and social conditions for the supply of skilled labour and the attractiveness of a location
• contribute knowledge on social resilience and social sustainability in mining and industry-dependent communities
• analyse how responsibilities, roles, and scope for action are shaped through collaboration between industry, the public sector, civil society, and academia
• support the project’s knowledge-based learning and methodological development
• contribute to the development of forms of long-term cross-sectoral collaboration
• highlight how different groups and local actors are given the opportunity to participate in the transition
• contribute to the analysis, documentation, and dissemination of the project’s experiences and results.

The human work science approach means that the supply of skills is not treated solely as a matter of access to the right education or professional qualifications. It is also related to how work, organisations, and local communities are changing, how responsibility for social sustainability is distributed, and how people are given the conditions to live and work long-term in the communities where industry operates.

Luleå University of Technology thus helps to integrate perspectives on working life and organisations with the broader societal issues addressed in the project. Particular attention is focused on how collaboration can be organised when stakeholders with different mandates, time horizons, and resources are tasked with developing joint solutions.

Participation in SORESS-MMI also ties in with Erik Lund’s research on work and organisation in relation to technological and industrial transition, as well as social resilience and sustainability in the metal and mineral industries.

Expected Results

The project is expected to result in a scalable model that links workforce supply with regional attractiveness. The model will be usable by municipalities, companies, and civil society organizations to strengthen the labor supply, living environments, and social cohesion in areas affected by industrial transition.

The project will also develop:

• models and methods for collaboration between industry and society
• indicators and practical guidance for social sustainability initiatives
• approaches that strengthen inclusion and local participation
• practically tested approaches for identifying local needs and experiences
• knowledge on how results and working methods can be implemented and managed after the project period ends.

The forms of collaboration being developed are based on the so-called quadruple helix model, in which industry, the public sector, academia, and civil society contribute different perspectives and resources. The project’s results should also provide guidance for other regions undergoing extensive industrial and societal changes.

Collaborating Partners

The project is coordinated by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute. The collaboration partners are:

• IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute
• Boliden
• Luleå University of Technology
• Skellefteå Municipality
• Örebro University
• Samforma
• Machinery Contractors
• Expats & Friends.

IVL is responsible for project management and overall coordination, as well as for supporting scientific quality, learning, and dissemination.

Project Duration

November 2025 to May 2028.

Funding Agency

The project is funded by Vinnova through the Impact Innovation program Swedish Metals & Minerals, as part of the initiative focused on social impact areas.

The project’s total budget is approximately 3.8 million Swedish kronor, and Vinnova’s reference number is 2025–02998.

Project Management

Coordinator: IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute AB.

Project Manager: Claudia Esberg, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute.

Read more

• Swedish Metal & Minerals
• IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute