Sweden as a role model

Speed and team spirit: “No idea is too big”

The Swedes want to make steel production greener with hydrogen.(Bild: EPA)

Sweden is one of the most innovative countries in the world. A delegation led by Markus Achleitner, Provincial Councillor for Economic Affairs, and Doris Hummer, President of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Commerce, took a close look at what Upper Austria can learn from the kingdom in terms of speed and team spirit and thus maintain and strengthen its own competitiveness.

A member of the security service checks the entrance to Linköping Castle. Inside, Carl Frederik Graf, Governor of the Östergötland region, welcomes the delegation from the Export Center Upper Austria led by Markus Achleitner, Upper Austrian Minister of Economic Affairs, and Doris Hummer, President of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Commerce.

Gerald Silberhumer and Doris Hummer (2nd from left) from the Upper Austrian Chamber of Commerce and Markus Achleitner (right) in Stockholm with Kajsa Ryttberg Wallgren (H2 Green Steel).(Bild: Barbara Kneidinger)

An agreement is signed in which Upper Austria and the region south of the capital Stockholm pledge to work together on economic missions.

"Bringing the best people together"
"It's about bringing the best people together to make Europe better," emphasizes Achleitner. And Sweden is a power here: Last year, the kingdom relegated the USA to third place in the Global Innovation Index. Only Switzerland is better.

Loxone CEO Rüdiger Keinberger, Brigitte Hütter, Rector of the University of Art and Design Linz, and Michael Rabl (FH Upper Austria/r.).(Bild: Barbara Kneidinger)

Achleitner wants to "regain the turbo function for innovation". "We think in much smaller dimensions, we simply have to be faster," says Hummer in a similar vein.

6.5 billion euros for a new plant in the north of the country
Collaboration between science and industry is extremely important in Sweden, the motto is "think big, think big". A plant is being built in the north of the country that will use hydrogen to produce green sponge iron for the steel industry. 6.5 billion euros have already been raised for this.

"No idea can be too big here," says Kajsa Ryttberg Wallgren from H2 Green Steel and also talks about discussions with Voestalpine. The steel group will be commissioning electric arc furnaces in Linz and Leoben-Donawitz in 2027, replacing one blast furnace each. Work on this is in full swing.

In Europe, universities such as the Technical University of Munich have several branches abroad. Something like this starts very small. We want to start with that.

Alberta Bonanni, Vizerektorin der JKU in Linz über die Pläne, ein Büro im US-Bundesstaat Kalifornien einzurichten

Bild: Barbara Kneidinger

No idea can be big enough - Alberta Bonanni has also internalized this. The Vice Rector of Johannes Kepler University reveals that efforts are being made to set up an office in California/USA in order to get closer to Silicon Valley.

"In Europe, universities like TU Munich have several branches abroad," says Bonanni about the idea, which she is convinced will have an impact.