Star architect to strengthen Norrbotten’s tourism industry

The architect Josefina Nordmark will lead the design-focused development program TUFF (Turistanläggningars Form & Funktion) starting in 2021. The program focuses on developing concepts and customer experience and strengthening the tourism industry’s competitiveness. Treehotel, Camp Ripan and Årrenjarka are examples of previous participants.
– It feels fantastic to lead a new round of TUFF. I am very optimistic about the future of Norrbotten’s tourism industry and if we only manage to take advantage of the qualities that exist here, we have huge potential, says Josefina.

Josefina Nordmark. Photo: Sven-Åke Visén.

→ Related article: “New programmes to boost tourism entrepreneurs”
→ Learn more about TUFF and register your interest in participating

Josefina Nordmark is the founder and CEO of the architect firm Nordmark & ​​Nordmark and adjunct professor of architecture at Luleå University of Technology, where she holds courses and supervises degree projects. She originally comes from Kalix, studied to be an architect at Chalmers and moved home to Norrbotten and Luleå where she lives with her family and her two dogs.

For a better customer experience

In TUFF, Josefina, together with other specialists, guides the participating companies to new insights and a concrete plan for how their facility can be developed. The goal is to improve the visitor’s experience.

The work takes place in a series of meetings at the participating entrepreneurs’ facilities. At each meeting, the specific facility is analyzed together. At each meeting, you also work with a specific theme. Josefina explains:

– The most important thing is to become aware of the importance of the built environment to the visitor’s experience and how it is based on the company’s identity and values. How do parts such as the exterior environment, interior and food form a well-thought-out overall experience? It is about connecting the design in all its parts with who you want to be and make the most of the qualities and potential of the location. We also look at, for example, branding and communication.

Has led TUFF before

Josefina Nordmark led the TUFF round of 2018-2019 and is now back for a second round. The news was well received by LTU Business’ TUFF project manager Monica Äijä-Lenndin:

– We are so grateful to have Josefina with us again, who was so appreciated by the entrepreneurs that participated in the program in 2018/19. In addition, she has a sustainability approach, which we will put extra focus on in this round, says Monica.

As a process leader, Josefina Nordmark keeps the work together and is an advisor together with specialists in areas such as brand development and interior design. She has positive experiences from the previous round.

– All facilities have their own challenges and conditions. The program provides help in understanding which qualities need to be strengthened in order to achieve the greatest effect, in relation to cost. An important focus area is to increase sustainability, says Josefina.

– It was especially enriching with the variety of participants with both small and large facilities, different challenges and the potential that exists in different places. To see their reality and give them advice based on their own thoughts on how they want to develop their facilities.

– The different participants also give a lot to each other. I have experienced that they benefit greatly from the exchange of experience and from networking and building new relationships. The whole group becomes more analytical during the process and there are very fun and rewarding discussions.

What you bring with you

In addition to the insights, inspiration and new contacts, each participant creates a design plan, a comprehensive document, which constitutes a tool and basis for decisions in the continued development of the facility. It also serves as a framework if or when the participant wants to hire, for example, an architect or renew their website.

New for this year is that each participant also receives eight hours of individual counseling.

Date and cost

Based on the current situation with the pandemic and that we would like to conduct physical meetings, we will provide a start date later to everyone who has registered interest.

The initiative is financed with support from the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, the Norrbotten Region and the Längmanska Företagsfonden, which enables greatly reduced participation fees for companies that need the program.

→ Learn more about TUFF and register your interest in participating

LTU Business among award winners for virtual reality mine

LTU Business and the other participants in the Swedish consortium within the mining innovation project SIMS recently won an inspiration award at the “Swedish Mining Innovation Award” for their collaboration in the development of the “VR mine”.
– Of all the fantastic nominations, one stood out […] It shows on the collaboration which the Swedish mining innovation system is so successfully built upon, and also targets our most important target group – children, young people and the general public, said Jenny Greberg, program director of Swedish Mining Innovation and chair of the jury.

SIMS is short for Sustainable Intelligent Mining Systems and was an EU-funded project with the aim of developing smarter and more sustainable mining operations. The project resulted in solutions for battery-powered mining machines, virtual training environments, 5G underground communication and autonomous drone technology.

The Swedish consortium that received the inspiration award consists of LTU Business, Luleå University of Technology, ABB, Boliden, Epiroc, IGW, LKAB, Mobilaris and Wolfit.

The VR mine has been developed based on gaming technology and shows world-leading mining operations in a way that creates interest among new target groups. The VR mine is available to the public and reaches children and young people through installations at the Technical Museum in Stockholm and the House of Technology in Luleå.

The jury’s motivation:

“The VR mine is a fine example of a collaboration between industry and academia on which the Swedish mining innovation system is based. It visualizes sustainable intelligent mining in an interesting and realistic way, and creates interest and makes knowledge of modern mining available to an important target group; children, young people and the general public.”

Read the full story and check out the VR mine at swedishmininginnovation.se.

Fast Track – an SME programme to boost growth

Participants of the 18-months long diploma course Fast Track get new insights and tools to drive change in their businesses, with focus on growth through for example product development or strategy. Fast Track, now in its’ second rendition, was initiated by LTU Business and Luleå University of Technology.

The participants are individuals with a management position in a company based in Sweden’s northernmost area.

Emma Norrfors, business development manager at LTU Business, has been in charge of recruiting candidates and match-making them with business coaches.

– In Fast Track, the companies get support with analysing their business, as well as identifying the best strategies going forward, all in close collaboration with scientists at Luleå University of Technology and professional business developers”, Emma explains.

Eight small and medium enteprises from industries ranging from construction and manufacturing, through healthcare and food production participate in Fast Track.

Fast Track is led by Anna Öhrwall Rönnbäck, professor and Head of Product Innovation at Luleå University of Technology.

– Close partnerships between the companies and universities benefits the business community overall as well as the economic growth on a national scale. Our ambition with Fast Track is to create fast, sustainable growth for each of the participating companies, and eventually that the concept is introduced to other regions, Anna says.

Background

Fast Track runs from September 2020 to December 2021 as part of the regional developmnet project Samverkan för Innovation och Regional Tillväxt (Cooperation for Innovation and Regional Growth). The project is initiated and operated by Luleå University of Technology in partnership with LTU Business, with sponsorship from EU/ERUF, the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, Region Norrbotten, Skellefteå Municipality and Luleå University of Technology.

Further improving the mining industry through NEXGEN SIMS

Solutions for battery-powered mining machines, virtual training environments, 5G communication and drone technology are among the latest breakthroughs in the development of the mining industry. This success is sprung from the recently concluded innovation project SIMS (Sustainable Intelligent Mining Systems). LTU Business now wants to continue the efforts together with industry and academia in a new project: NEXGEN SIMS.

A new generation of battery-powered underground mining machines was tested in Agenico Eagle´s Kittilä mine in Finland in the autumn of 2019. The tests showed great production results and positive health effects for the operators, with an almost silent and vibration-free operation, and improved air quality. Photo: Niclas Dahlström

The completed SIMS project has since its start in 2017 shown that the mining industry can become more sustainable, and that the mine can be made an even more attractive workplace – with the help of autonomous drones, underground 5G technology and battery-powered vehicles.

– Lots is happening in the mining industry in terms of safety, sustainability and efficiency. Modern battery technology replaces diesel, and a higher degree of automation leads to improved safety. Luleå University of Technology conducts research in several areas that are useful for these efforts, says Jenny Greberg, associate professor of mining and quarrying technology at the university, and participant in SIMS.

– Digitizing the mines with smart systems that can communicate with each other will streamline production and create a more sustainable mining industry. We will see more precise mining, less energy consumption, waste and water use, says Jan Gustafsson, senior project manager at the industrial group Epiroc and project coordinator for SIMS.

The SIMS project has received lots of attention both within and outside of Europe. LTU Business and Niclas Dahlström have played a large part in this. – Jenny Greberg, Luleå University of technology 

Niclas Dahlström, senior project manager at LTU Business. Photo: Viveka Österman

LTU Business’ senior project manager Niclas Dahlström led the work of communicating SIMS and the project’s results with the world – partly through immersive virtual reality experiences. Now the project owners are hoping for a part two: NEXGEN SIMS, which means a bigger role for LTU Business also including business development of innovations sprung from the project.

– The SIMS project has received lots of attention both within and outside of Europe. LTU Business and Niclas Dahlström have played a large part in this. The work of disseminating the results via digital channels, video and VR environments has been very effective and we look forward to a continued future collaboration, says Jenny Greberg at Luleå University of Technology.

– We are proud to have contributed to the SIMS project. We look forward to bringing that specific experience and our broad international experience of mining innovation into the next project, says Niclas Dahlström.

Three years ago, an announcement in the EU’s largest innovation program Horizon 2020 made it possible for the mining industry and academia to develop and apply new mining technology through SIMS. The EU’s response to the application for NEXGEN SIMS is expected in early 2021.

– Now we are hoping for a positive response from the EU, concludes Niclas Dahlström.

Facts:

The SIMS innovation project began in 2017 and lasted three years. The total budget was SEK 168 million, with the EU providing the bulk of the funding through its framework program for research and innovation, Horizon 2020. Of the total budget, close to SEK 37 million funded Luleå University of Technology’s research, development and innovation of intelligent mining systems. SIMS’ goal was to develop the mining industry in the EU with a focus on growing employment and improving operations in terms of sustainability, safety, and more.

Learn more about the SIMS project at simsmining.eu.

20 students awarded idea developer diploma

LTU Business awards 20 students idea development diplomas for their projects on new innovations and research results. The students have participated in LTU Business Summer, a programme aiming to give extra growth to new innovations and at the same time give university students valuable work experience and contacts.The program is funded by Luleå University of Technology, Vinnova, Swedish Mining Innovation and RIT2021 and is run by LTU Business.

Digital for the first time

This year, the program has been hosted online due to Covid-19. The students work in teams and have a joint introductory week followed by regular meetings with a coach and a final presentation of their projects. Students are assigned a real business case to develop a solution for, including market analysis, business model and go-to-market strategy. The business cases are new innovations deriving from research teams, companies or a societal issue that the students themselves have identified. For the first time this year, the programme recruited nationally, within the theme industry innovations in mining and minerals.

“Experience for my future career”

The summer program has received a high volume of applications for serveral years. Students who are accepted are positive about the experience. Hanna Brink is one of the students who was admitted for summer 2020:

I have gained experience that will be useful both for my dissertation and in my future profession as a civil engineer – Hanna, student.

– I have no previous experience of idea and business development, so this was a big and interesting challenge for me. The work with my colleagues and the support from our coach Johan Bergström has developed me as a person and given me greater knowledge about taking an idea to reality. I have gained experience that will be useful both for my dissertation and in my future profession as a civil engineer.

Christopher Frisk, business developer at LTU Business, says the strength of this programme is in uniting people with different backgrounds around a specific problem. LTU Business provides the tools and a professional business developer to coach them throug their project.

– It is a kind of intensive trainee program for the students, and at the same time a pre-incubator for companies and researchers who want to take their idea forward. After only nine weeks, you have an initial business pitch and an increased understanding of the business potential of the idea, Christopher explains.

“Partners who believe in young talent and the power of innovation in the region”

The programme is possible thanks to funding from Luleå University of Technology, Vinnova, Swedish Mining Innovation and the regional development project RIT2021, explains Karoline Pettersson, program manager for LTU Business Summer.

Viktoria Mattsson, Head of Collaboration, External Financing and Innovation at Luleå University of Technology, is responsible for contributing to increased growth and development, locally, nationally and internationally.

– Luleå University of Technology sees LTU Business Summer as an important opportunity for students to establish themselves in the county during the summer holidays, at the same time as they get to try to develop an idea. It creates value both for the individual as well as for the university and the region.

– Having the support of our committed partners is a strong proof of the will and belief in the power of innovation in our region. An important bonus is that this programme creates effect and value ​​for the region during the summer holidays when many activities slow down and students disappear to other places, Karoline concludes.

Facts

LTU Business Summer is a nine-week development program where students are given the opportunity to work as business and idea developers on real cases. This year, 20 students have worked on 10 business cases. Read more about LTU Business Summer here. 

On the outlook for business ideas with international potential

LTU Business is a partner to Arctic Business in the EU funded project Northern Spinoff Business, a project aiming to utilize scalable business ideas that could become Norrbotten’s next growth company.

With the help of EU funding, LTU Business, Arctic Business and students from Luleå University of Technology  will find and refine business ideas with the potential to succeed internationally. The best ideas are further developed and packaged in order to generate new businesses and job opportunities in the Norrbotten region.

“Through a campaign in social media, the project group is now starting to map out creative companies, industries, institutes, researchers and entrepreneurs in Norrbotten. The purpose is to find the companies or people who have good business ideas, but limited time or resources to implement the ideas themselves,” says business developer Martin Gidlund at LTU Business.

The best ideas are selected and then further developed by LTU Business and students from Luleå University of Technology in collaboration with Arctic Business. The students’ task will be to investigate the market and make suggestions on how the idea should be directed and packaged. Each student group receives a consulting fee for conducting research and development in accordance with LTU Business’ internationally recognized method Innovation Due Diligence (IDD).

“Besides an increase in companies and innovation in Norrbotten, we also hope that the project will lead to more students from Luleå University of Technology gaining valuable work experience that benefits their future careers,” says Martin Gidlund.

More about the financing

Northern Spinoff Business is funded by the European Regional Development Fund Upper Norrland through the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth. The funds aim to increase the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises by strengthening existing companies and helping to start new ones.

LTU Business Summer has started

Students from Luleå University of Technology are ready to take on the role of business developers and make an impact on real business challenges.

LTU Business Summer is a recurring nine-week summer program where 20 students from Luleå University of Technology are given the opportunity to develop ideas and gain relevant working experience for their CV.

Together with passionate colleagues, the students work as full-time business developers on real cases in four areas; potential start-ups from the university’s researchers or own ideas, as well as the space and mining / mineral industries.

A head start to the career

One of the participants in LTU Business Summer is Anna Eriksson, who studies industrial engineering. Her team will help researchers to explore the market potential of new research findings in the field of mining innovation. She looks forward to work as a consultant before graduation:

“It will be incredibly exciting to apply the knowledge I have gained during my studies. I will probably be faced with similar situations in the future so this will be a valuable experience. I also look forward to taking part of the latest research, as well as contributing toits impact for industry and society. My hope is that the case I am working on this summer will play an important role for the future, ”she says.

Experience in business development

During the nine weeks, professional business developers coach students through the Innovation Due Diligence® method, developed by LTU Business and used to test the potential of over 300 ideas each year. At the end of the summer, they received training in pitching, doing market research, evaluating business models and markets.

Farid Akhtar, associate professor at Luleå University of Technology, has founded the company HIPOR Materials, which has one of the cases in the space program.

“The program benefits not only the students but also the companies that get the chance to have innovative thinkers and creative brains at their disposal. In addition, the program builds relationships between the students and any future employers. I look forward to a summer of exciting input and new ideas. ” he says.

All students will work independently but do have a personal business coach from LTU Business to support them.

“The program is important in several ways. For the students, it is an opportunity to prepare their professional career by gaining relevant and practical experience and making contacts with potential employers. For researchers and companies who participate with a case, it provides a push for new products and business ideas while complementing their own experience with young, driven talents, ”says Karoline Pettersson, project manager at LTU Business.

LTU Business Summer is financed by:
Luleå University of Technology
Vinnova
Swedish Mining Innovation (SIP STRIM)
Through the RIT2021 project:
·       Sparbanken Nord
·       Längmanska Företagsfonden
·       Kiruna Kommun
·       Luleå Kommun
·       Europeiska regionala utvecklingsfonden

The students taking part of the program:

Anna Eriksson
Gustav Wahlquist
Christoffer Flemström
Johan Waara

Adrian Arrosamena Mellgren
Moa Johansson
Daniel Semnani
Hanna Brink
Carl Frisenstam
Sandra Zetterkvist

Anton Kjellberg Dahlin
Niklas Landström
Ellen Göransson
Jacob Engström
Felicia Johansson
Gustav Nilsson

Oskar Havo
Emma Axebrink
Ioana Simona Rosca
Theresia Hestad