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FROM SWEDEN 2013 GREEN SOLUTIONS The man opening doors for Why IKEA invests in cleantech The Boom: Swedish cleantech on the rise Decides on Sweden’s future energy What’s happening inside SPECIAL EDITION FROM THE MAGAZINE MILJÖAKTUELLT, MILJÖAKTUELLT.SE

Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

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Page 1: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

FROM SWEDEN 2013

GREEN SOLUTIONS

The man opening doors for Why IKEA invests in cleantech The Boom: Swedish cleantech on the rise Decides on Sweden’s

future energy What’s happening inside

SPECIAL EDIT ION FROM THE MAGAZINE MILJÖAKTUELLT, MILJÖAKTUELLT.SE

Page 2: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

With a sustainable vision 2021

are located at the heart of Sundsvall Bay and have been sites for timber and charcoal handling, sawmills, and industries since the mid-1800s. ! is area of Sundsvall is now set to become the greenest district , with a pro-environment approach.

is to become one of the world’s best cities for sustainable development. Sundsvall is also planning for an entirely new logistics solution for heavy goods, as well as a combined biogas plant that will process organic domestic waste and sludge from industry and sewage treatment. A fossil fuel-free transport corridor – the Green Highway from Sundsvall to Trondheim in Norway – has been established and has achieved changes that others only talk about.

is home to the " rst complete house built from cellular glass, Villa Kim. Villa Kim has minimal impact on the environment, according to architect Anders Nyquist. ! e whole objective of the project was to create a house with low energy consumption, low annual costs, easy maintenance, low useful-life costs, and no connection to the municipal sewage or district heating systems.

Jörgen Berglund nytt kommunalråd i Sundsvall. ernatem faccus, quas re doluptatius, si dolupta

cor repro consectatium sum faccus non erferchil eium dolupta ipitas duciet ium qui volectinis alit quat asperit, quibuscitia ent aute pre, tet lab int lat quiamet es dusa non exceptas dolo que non cus, enectibus, consequam

in Sundsvall are home to world-class research and innovation. Business in Mid Sweden is greatly in! uenced by the region’s large and important forest industry and Åkroken Science Park’s mission is to create a center for world-class innovation using the forest as a resource. Additionally, forestry industry research at Mid Sweden University ranks as some of the best in the world.

have a long history as international meeting places for industrial development and business with a focus on the forestry industry. Our ambition nowadays is to continue to be an excellent host for sustainable growth development. Sundsvall welcomes you to an international event to be held in 2014, World CleanTech Forum. More information to come.

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14

Sweden is home to more than 5,000 cleantech companies. We introduce 50 of the hottest here, together with five other companies that are particularly interesting right now.

45Munters, Blueair, Termoekonomi, Malmberg, and Purac. We look at five companies that have achieved success in export markets.

50

The eutrophication of lakes and seas affected by algal blooms and changes in fish stocks has become a serious problem in many coun-tries. One reason behind the prob-lem is changes in land use, but a project in southern Sweden is now reversing this trend.

54TRAINING IN SUSTAINABILITY

Umeå is home to all the knowledge necessary to understand how Sweden succeeded in becoming one of the world’s leading countries for sustainability work. International students rank Umeå University number one in Sweden and number five in the world.

48Swedish cleantech is a hive of activity. We’ve checked out what’s happening in some of Sweden’s regional cleantech networks.

38IKEA’s venture capital company, IKEA GreenTech AB, is investing heavily in cleantech. The company has so far invested EUR 12 million in four companies, two of which are Swed-ish.

VOL.542

One of Sweden’s true success stories in cleantech exports is Envac. The company is a world leader in automated waste management and has 38 offices in 21 countries.

22

Sweden has one minister responsible for both IT and energy. This division of responsibility comes as no surprise to the minister herself, Anna-Karin Hatt, who recognizes that the two fields are becoming increas-ingly integrated. Renewable energy, energy efficiency, cleantech exports, and research are important fields for her ministry.

32China, India, and Russia are priority markets for Swedish cleantech exports and Mats Denninger is the man tasked with coordinating Sweden’s efforts to open their doors. “There is no quick fix here. It will take both patience and resources to succeed,” Denninger explains.

36

The Swedish cleantech sector turns over SEK 120 billion every year. So say the latest statistics from 2011. But the real story is the sector’s rapid growth.

Mikael Salo, Ingemar Jansson, Dynamo Press AB , Elanders, IDG, Miljöaktuellt, Karlbergsvägen77, 10678 Stockholm, +4687996249, , Sales: +4684536044,

[email protected], www.greensweden.se, ISSN: 0345-763x Green Solutions from Sweden is a brand within International Data Group, IDG, Sweden and includes a magazine, online industry guide and newsletter. IDG is the world’s leading technology media, events and research company. Copyright © 2012 International Data Group. All rights reserved.

THERE IS A REASON why you’re reading this magazine; a reason why it exists at all. The Swedish cleantech market is a world leader–and has been for many years. Sweden is full of unique system solutions and innovative cleantech innovations that have been commercialized, integrated into Swedish society, and then exported to much of the rest of the world in an exemplary way.

You may wonder how little Sweden can boast being one of the world’s leading cleantech countries. Here is the reason: Decades of stringent environmental legislation and community planning that includes tough environmen-tal requirements have created an economy where high levels of environmental and sustainability performance have become standard. It is this that has contributed to Sweden’s development of unique innovations and solu-tions.

SWEDEN AND SWEDISH REPRESENTATIVES have also pushed environmental and sustainability agendas interna-tionally for decades and have managed to raise the status of these e!orts. This has helped to elevate this small northern European country’s status to one of the world’s greenest and most sustainable countries.

Although other countries are now also investing heavily in cleantech, Swedish companies remain at the forefront in several fields. The purpose of this magazine is to present trends, identify pivotal advances, and chart market movements within the cleantech field. For this reason, we’ve included a unique list of 50 hot Swedish cleantech companies that have reached di!erent stages in their cleantech journey. Some may have begun to commer-cialize, others are in the process of reaching out to an international market, and many are likely looking for venture capital.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOMMEND our interview with Mats Denninger. Denninger has been appointed by the Swedish government to open doors for Swedish cleantech in China, India, and Russia–three of the world’s most exciting markets. Oh, and don’t miss the magazine’s last pages, where we provide a run-down of what’s happening in cleantech throughout Sweden.

Why Sweden?

Publisher

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6 | GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN

"Finnish energy company For-tum has launched an open district heating program in Stockholm. The idea is that the company will reuse its

customers’ waste heat, opening up its own heat production to competition. In the pilot project, Fortum will buy waste heat at market prices that are based on demand, that is to say, on the outdoor temperature, from customers like the Östermalm food hall, Zinkens-damm sports stadium, the grocery chains Coop, ICA, and Hemköp, the Bahnhof ISP, the real estate company Fabege, the Stora Sköndal Foundation,

and a commercial bank. The project will run during 2013 to assess the price model and technology. Fortum hopes to launch a large-scale program in 2014.

“Waste heat is nothing new. What is unique about our open district heating initiative is that it opens up our own production to competition,” explains Lena Gunnarsson, Fortum’s Product Manager for District Heating. In other words, the program is not about a traditional purchase of waste heat from large industries. Instead, the idea is that all customers, large and small alike, should be able to sell

small-scale waste heat on a spot market. “At Fortum, we hope the project will help us avoid having to make large investments in the future that bind up capital in new production facilities.

If we can buy heat cheaper from our customers, then, naturally, we’re happy to do so,” Gunnarsson con-cludes. For Fortum, open district heating programs have great poten-tial. “There is major international interest, and we have fielded a number of enquiries from places like South Ko-rea and the US. So this could really be a big thing,” she adds.

SORUBIN GAINING GROUND

"Approximately 90 Swedish municipal landfills are required by environ- mental regulations to

aerate their leachate—either to treat it before it is sent on to purification plants or to recipient bodies of water, or to aerate the water to resolve odors that could otherwise spread long distances. Historically, aeration has been costly because it is energy-inten-sive.

The Swedish cleantech company Sorubin, however, is now making advances with its Vortex Aerator, which can potentially reduce power consumption by 90 percent.

A contract was recently signed with the Swedish municipality of Hallsberg, and now Sorubin proudly supplies aeration services to 25 percent of the landfill market.

“Our success comes thanks to a great product and value for money.

Our customers have discovered that all they basically have to do is place the aerator in the water and then let it do its thing without further ado.

Naturally, we’re very happy to have succeeded in winning 25 percent of Sweden’s landfill market. That said, we’re also thinking about markets beyond our local municipalities. The need for aeration is even greater out there,” says Sorubin CEO Stefan Sandström.

"Sweden ranks at number six among Europe’s top ten household waste recyclers. In 2010 Sweden recycled

465 kg of waste per capita, equaling 49 percent of the total volume of household waste produced. This is 20 kg increase compared with ten years ago.

Back then Sweden recycled 442 kg per capita, according to statistics

compiled by the EU’s European Environment Agency (EEA).

This means that Swedish house-holds are among the best recyclers after Austria (63%), Germany (62%), Belgium (58%), Switzerland (51%) and the Netherlands (51%). Sweden has improved its ranking from 2001, when it placed seventh.

In 2010, on average 35 percent of household waste was recycled in

Europe, a considerable improvement over 2001’s figure of 23 percent.

Even so, large amounts of house-hold waste still end up either in landfills or as filler material.

According to the EEA, many European countries appear unable to achieve the Waste Framework Directive’s 2020 goal of recycling 50 percent of their municipal solid waste.

GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN | 7

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"Sweden cannot a!ord to miss the opportunities created by the EU’s Energy E#ciency Directive (EED), according to the Swedish network

100% Förnybart. According to the network, more e#cient energy use would not only generate major environmental benefits, but also create around 30,000 new jobs in Sweden.

100% Förnybart hopes that the Swedish Minister for IT and Energy, Anna-Karin Hatt, will focus on this in

her upcoming announcement of Sweden’s strategy for implementing the EED.

The network proposes that Sweden harness the job-creating potential of the EED by mirroring the EU’s e#ciency target, to set higher targets for energy e#ciency for buildings, to use energy declarations as an active tool for transitioning to higher e#ciency and to allow municipalities to set their own, more stringent energy requirements through their public procurements.

The network also wants to encourage new business models, e.g. by awarding white certificates (ESC) as incentives for electricity producers to reduce end-customer energy consumption, and to encour-age the private sector to make greater and more conscious e!orts to conserve energy through energy management in accordance with the Swedish Programme for Im-proving Energy E#ciency in Energy Intensive Industries (PFE).

"The headquarters of Swedish construction company Skanska at Väla Gård in Helsingborg was awarded more points in its

LEED certification process than any other European building. The building received 95 of a possible 100 points, making it the third most environmen-tally friendly building in the world, as defined by the LEED program.

“The building is definitely a shining example of sustainable construction. Internally, we refer to

Väla Gård as a deep green building,” explains Agneta Wannerström, Development Leader for green buildings at Skanska.

According to the Business Case for Green Building report, sustainable construction can also provide financial benefits. Wannerström and Skanska share this conclusion.

“Profitability is something we discussed at length. We are definitely seeing a continual downward trend in the cost of green construction. We have long placed requirements on our

suppliers, and this is now bearing fruit. All the products needed for green construction are available today. What’s more, they have both improved and have become cheaper. At the same time, the cost of the learning curve for construction companies has fallen. We have found solutions that we can re-use in later projects. Under the right conditions, today we can build sustainably without incurring any additional costs,” Wannerström concludes.

"Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest manufacturer of construction materials, wants to help its customers switch to sustainable

construction. As part of this initiative, the

company has launched the Internet-based support tool Hållbart byggande (www.hållbartbyggande.se) in Sweden.

According to CEO Lars-Erik Edgarsson, the site will serve as a useful tool and source of inspiration

for anyone working within green construction. The website explains how Saint-Gobain’s construction materials meet the requirements for the green building certifications LEED, BREEAM, and Miljöbygg- nad.

“Looking at the use of the di!erent environmental certifications in the building sector, you see a continual increase. As a materials manufacturer, we want to make it easy for our customers to keep up with green requirements,” says Edgarsson.

"The European Court has begun looking into Swedish state sub- sidies to a wind power park on the autonomous

Finnish island of Åland. This will set an important

precedent regarding whether government funds may be paid to facilities in other countries, accord-ing to Reuters.

The Åland wind power company, which is connected to the Swedish power grid, but not the Finnish grid, has petitioned Swedish courts, complaining that it is not entitled to the same subsidies as Swedish wind power farms, which results in a competitive dis advantage.

The European Court is now set to decide the case.

It is thought that the Court’s

decision will have major ramifications in the ongoing tug-of-war between the European Commission, which wants to share the cost of renewable energy sources between EU nations, and parts of the German energy industry, which believe that such support breaches antitrust laws.

The court is expected to deli-berate for at least a year. Its decision will be binding for Swedish courts.

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| GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN | 11

"The Swedish Institute of Agricultural and Environ-mental Engineering ( JTI) recently began a collabora-

tive project with Russian authorities. The project aims to export expertise and experience gained during Swedish

biogas production. JTI has established a partnership with the Russian Engineering Academy of Management and Agribusiness (RIAMA) and the Russian Energy Agency (REA). The Swedish Energy Agency is responsible for financing JTI’s part of the project.

In concrete terms, the project may involve building and exporting mobile biogas plants for pilot studies, for example. It may also open doors to the Russian market for Swedish technol-ogy companies and assist them with networking building.

OF BIOGAS

"T hanks to its new innova-tion, Arc Aroma Pure, based in Lund, Sweden, has succeeded in achiev-

ing production increases of 15 to 28 percent in biogas plants.

The company announced that the method also opens up the way for the use of new types of raw mate-rials, such as seaweed and forest

waste in these plants. Arc Aroma Pure even goes so far as to claim that Sweden could become a net exporter of biogas, thanks to the technique.

The new technique is based on high-voltage pulses that kill micro-organisms by destroying cells inside the waste, which breaks the raw material down at the cellular level, releasing nutrients.

The method is currently undergoing large-scale testing at an industrial biogas plant in Skåne, southern Sweden.

Arc Aroma Pure is also arranging a new share issue prior to listing on the stock market in order to raise capital for the commercialization of its innovation.

"Working in collaboration with a number of research teams, Professor Yifang Ban of

the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) has succeeded in developing a technique that maps urban growth and its environmental consequences.

The technique incorporates synthetic aperture radar images, which are later combined with other satellite imagery. For example, by

merging a ten-year-old image with a current image, the technique creates a third image that directly shows the changes to the city and how it has expanded. It can also provide data for calculating how the city’s growth is a!ecting the environment.

“Naturally, there is ongoing debate about which measurements should be used to calculate environ-mental impact. Among others, we use a measure called ‘loss of ecosystem services value translated into cash’

when forest and cultivated land is built on. That loss can be used as a measure of the impact on the en-vironment,” says Yifang.

The world’s cities are growing rapidly. For example, during the decade spanning 2000 to 2010, New York City grew by 4.8 percent.

During the same period, Shang- hai grew by an astounding 65.5 percent. Today, over half of the world’s population lives in cities.

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| GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN |

An arena for cleantech companies in Dalarna and Gävleborg

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS ADVICE

www.greenbusinessregion.se

NETWORKS AND WORKSHOPS VISIT PROGRAMS

WORLDBIOENERGY2014

www.worldbioenergy.com

World Bioenergy is the

leading trade fair and conference

within the topics of

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BUILDS GREEN

The 2012 Swedish Green Data Center of the Year is in Växjö. The center belongs to the power company Växjö Energi and the Wexnet municipal broadband network company. Data center supplier Coromatic, which presents the annual award, described Växjö Energi’s and Wexnet’s jointly owned data center as “excellent” from an environmental engineering standpoint.

Wexnet’s CTO Lars Wihlborg

explains that the engineering solution behind the data center is likely unique. “Our district cooling network first sends its coolant to a large shopping center. The remaining coolant is then returned by way of the data center. The excess heat created there is then used to heat the playing field of a local soccer club. So, in that way, the cooling energy is used three times over,” says Wihlborg.

GREEN BUILDINGS ARE GOOD BUSINESS

"The headquarters of Swedish construction company Skanska at Väla Gård in Helsing-borg was awarded more

points in its LEED certification process than any other European building. The building received 95 of a possible 100 points, making it the third most environmentally friendly building in the world, as defined by the LEED program.

“The building is definitely a shining example of sustainable construction. Internally, we refer to Väla Gård as a deep green build-ing,” explains Agneta Wanner-ström, Development Leader for green buildings at Skanska.

According to the Business Case for Green Building report, sustain-able construction can also provide financial benefits. Wannerström and Skanska share this conclusion.

“Profitability is something we discussed at length. We are definitely seeing a continual downward trend in the cost of green construction. We have long placed requirements on our suppliers, and this is now bearing fruit. All the products needed for green construction are available today. What’s more, they have both improved and have become cheaper. At the same time, the cost of the learning curve for construc-tion companies has fallen. We have found solutions that we can re-use in later projects.

Under the right conditions, today we can build sustainably without incurring any additio- nal costs,” Wannerström concludes.

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14 | GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN | 15

1._______________________________________SORUBIN. Sorubin develops energy-efficient aerators for industrial water treatment, such as for process water, wastewater, drinking water, and landfill leachate. Sorubin’s customers include companies in the pulp and paper industry, textile industry, food industry, metal manufacturing, chemical industry, and pharmaceutical industry, and public water and wastewater treatment plants. Sorubin has recently received widespread publicity and several accolades, including being named in the Global Top 100 and the Greentech Top 3 as one of Sweden’s hottest start-ups in cleantech, and as one of ten finalists for the Stockholm Cleantech Venture Day Award. “We are extremely proud of our success. Gaining the trust of an entire industry in just a few years shows that our customers derive real benefit from our offering. We’re now preparing for the next step in our expansion into the vastly larger industries of municipal and industrial wastewater. As we scale up, we’re starting to make an impact on a whole new level,” says Stefan Sandström, CEO of Sorubin.

INNVENTIA.Innventia is a research and development company that develops innovations based on raw materials sourced from forests. Using a science-based approach, Innventia aims to contribute to increased competitiveness, produc-tivity, profitability, and innovative ability. The company contributes expertise along the entire value chain; from assessing the characteristics of wood raw materials at the molecular level, to the finished product on the store shelf and how customers perceive it. One recent Innventia client is North American pulp and paper company Domtar, which recently installed a plant for separating lignin from pulp production at its mill in Plymouth, North Carolina. The mill is the first commercial-scale plant of its kind in the world to be based on the LignoBoost technol-ogy. The lignin is intended for use in a wide range of industrial applications; either as a bio-based alternative to oil and other fossil fuels, or as a raw material for produc-ing other materials, among other things. “Having worked on this project from its inception makes a day like today—when production starts in earnest—very special. Many people have contributed to the research and develop-ment work that has taken these ideas from concept to finished product,” says Innventia’s Per Tomani.

Sweden is home to more than 5,000 cleantech companies. Here we intro-duce 50 of the hottest and single out five that we think are particularly interesting right now.

GREEN SOLUTIONS FULL LIST

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GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN | 1716 | GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN

Insulation Material. Aerogel AB is a research and development company that commercializes a patented version of the material aerogel in various applications.

Batteries. Alelion’s main business is to define, develop, and deliver tailor-made batteries and power electron-ics for any type of demanding product that benefits from the new battery technology.

________________________AnolytechAgriculture. Anolytech has developed a system for disinfecting water, equipment, facilities, and furnishings used in the livestock industry and other types of operations that require a high level of hygiene.

Biological Treatment. Arc Aroma Pure’s CEPT system is designed for the biological treatment and sterili-zation of pumpable products.

Production Engineering. Arsizio identifies and streamlines products from concept to production and enables reductions in raw material and energy use during production.

Biological Plant Protection. Binab develops and manufactures biologi-

cal plant protection that combats fungal diseases.

Carbon Storage. Biorecro creates negative emissions through the use of BECCS. Carbon dioxide is cap-tured from the atmosphere, extract-ed, and then stored permanently thousands of feet below ground.

Water Purification. CBS offers a unique and highly effective bark absorbent that removes petroleum products from water.

Building Material. Cell reinforcement is a new, unique reinforcement method for concrete, asphalt, and other materials. The cell reinforce-ment offered by Cellfab uses 75 percent less steel than traditional reinforcement.

Air Filtration. CentriClean Systems offers solutions for industrial air cleaning. The technology is based on traditional cyclonic separation principles, but is much more efficient.

Bioenergy. Chemrec has developed a process for producing DME fuel from black liquor, an energy-rich by-prod-uct of the pulp industry.

Water Purification. ClimateWell has developed a technology for storing solar energy that can then be used for both heating and cooling.

Improving Energy Efficiency. Chromo-Genics is a global technical leader in developing smart window technolo-gies that save energy and increase comfort levels in buildings.

Chemistry. Chromafora possesses expertise in the field of phosphine chemistry and the use of phosphines attached to solid particles.

Solar Power. Cleanergy produces and markets CHP (combined heat and power) engines based on Stirling technology for biogas, landfill gas, and natural gas use.

4.____________________________________ Tomologic has developed a method for reducing waste in the metal industry by up to 50 percent. At present, large amounts of waste material are created when any type of sheet metal is cut. The waste, which often amounts to 30-40 percent of the material, entails a major cost for the manufacturing industry and also wastes huge amounts of energy, with negative environmental impact as a result. “We have managed to solve a major problem for the manufacturing industry and, in the near future, Tomologic will set a new industry standard,” explains Josefin Nord-ström, CFO at Tomologic. Tomologic was the major winner of the 2012 Nordic Cleantech Open. The company is now on the verge of global expansion and has begun negotiations with several investors to raise capital and to bring in additional expertise and expand networks for the company. Potential investors are located in Europe, the US, China, and India. Tomologic already has a number of pilot customers and, in the coming year, plans to scale up its operations.

Solelia Greentech is a Swedish company working to become a leader in solar cell solutions for electric vehicles. In 2011, the company launched Sweden’s first solar-based charging station for electric cars. Solar installations from Solelia Greentech are designed to resist sun and rain, and occupy only a minimal amount of the parking lot’s surface area. What’s more, they can follow the sun during the daytime, so that they are always positioned at the optimal angle, thereby producing maximum electricity; that is, up to 30 percent more than conventional fixed solar cells. The Swedish Association of Green Motorists has named Solelia Greentech a 2012 “green role model” and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) also named the company its Climate Solver 2012. “We are very happy and proud of the awards and the support that the industry is giving our solar chargers. Our solution makes a real difference and helps make travel by car sustainable,” says Carolina Johansson, CEO of Solelia Greentech.

5.___________________ ChromoGenics develops technologies for smart windows that save energy and improve comfort inside buildings. ConverLight™—the company’s electrochromic foil—can be made lighter or darker by applying a weak electrical current. ChromoGen-ics has developed a unique roll-to-roll process (R2R), in which electrochromic material is coated onto plastic foil instead of being applied to glass. The processes, materials, and techniques used are backed by the company’s patents and know-how, which have been accumulated over more than 20 years. The smart window technology provided by ChromoGenics’ ConverLight™ product primarily targets window applications in buildings as its market, which total four billion square meters of glass annually. ChromoGen-ics’ solution is both attractive and competitive because the foil used is a mere 0.4 mm thick. What’s more, it can be cut into any shape and laminated between glass using the conventional equipment already owned by customers. “We have already demonstrated the production of Conver-Light™ in large volumes during trials of R2R. We are now discussing benchmark projects with manufacturers of insulating glass, and we already have several demonstra-tion units in place with potential end-customers and end-users,” explains ChromoGenics’ CEO, Thomas Almesjö.

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developed a drying cabinet that uses a dehumidifier instead of heating.

Lighting Technology. LunaLEC’s product is a polymer light-emitting electrochemical cell, also known as an LEC or LEEC. These are printable, inexpensive light-emitting devices for use in displays and lighting applications.

Solar Panels. Midsummer produces thin film CIGS solar cells on small substrates that can be used for conventional module manufacturing.

Energy Storage. myFC provides a hydrogen fuel cell power source for on-demand charging of cell phones and other low-power portable electronics away from the grid.

__________________________NeoZeoBiogas. NeoZeo focuses on technol-ogy innovations for porous materials (structuring and modifications) for different applications, such as gas separation, gas filtration, water treatment, and catalytic and medical applications.

Solar Power. Optistring Technologies is in the process of developing a unique power inverter system for grid-connected solar power installa-tions.

Analysis Technology. Orexplore aims to develop portable, easy-to-use, and extremely accurate equipment for analyzing the composition of non-organic materials, primarily minerals.

Water Purification. Primozone develops ozone generators used for different industrial water treatment applications.

Bioenergy. REAC Fuel converts lignocellulosic biomass in a finan-cially- and environmentally-sound process into chemicals and liquid fuels.

Air Filtration. Reformtech’s reforming process cracks fuel into elementary

molecules and reformulates it into hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

Bioenergy. Rindi is an energy com-pany delivering district heating to end-customers. Rindi builds and operates facilities for the delivery of heating, steam, and electricity.

Improving Energy Efficiency. SEEC offers a solution for heating and cooling properties that reduces primary energy consumption. Excess heat is stored in boreholes and is used for heating. Alternatively, cooling energy can also be stored.

_________________________SenSicBiogas. SenSic is a provider of new gas sensors for domestic biofuel heaters and biomass heater plants

Improving Energy Efficiency. Clima-Check has a method for analyzing cooling and heating processes, with the objective of optimizing the functionality and daily operations of heat pumps, refrigeration, and air conditioning equipment and systems.

Improving Energy Efficiency. Climate- Well delivers energy-efficient com ponents that are customized and integrated into an OEM manufac-turer’s products, so called “design-in” components.

Wave Energy. CorPower Ocean has developed an advanced compact high-efficiency Wave Energy Con-verter (WEC) inspired by the pump-ing principles of the human heart.

Recycling. Ekobalans offers sustain-able solutions in the handling of nutrient-rich residues such as sewage sludge, biogas digestate, manure, and bioenergy ashes.

Improving Energy Efficiency. Entrans’ product FlexiGen converts surplus or waste heat at low temperatures into useful energy for electricity, usable heat, and cooling. FlexiGen utilizes the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) for operation.

Improving Energy Efficiency. Exibea has developed a range of solutions for home energy management that helps users to take control of their electricity consumption.

Improving Energy Efficiency. Expektra provides innovative solutions, contri- buting to a more efficient energy system with less environmental impact.

Improving Energy Efficiency. Eze system has developed an Internet-based solution for collecting, analyz- ing, and visualizing energy consump-tion and other data.

Smart Electric Grids. Ferroamp develops power electronics for smart grid applications related to solar power, energy storage, EV charging, and visualization of energy flows.

Solar Panels. HelioCaminus is developing the EOS solar thermal collector, which converts sunlight into heat for tap water and for heating buildings.

Marine Technology. I-Tech is deve-loping a marine biocide, Selektope, to be used in marine paint, which inhibits growth on ship and boat hulls.

Cleaning Technology. IBC Robotics’ main product is the IBA solution, used for cleaning standard contain-ers. This solution is totally automated and dry.

Research and Development.Innventia is a research and develop-ment company working with innova-tions based on forest raw materials.

Drying Technology. Knycer has

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| GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN

that increase combustion efficiency and reduce unwanted emissions.

Microbiology. Simris Alg grows microalgae in order to deliver valuable products for food, animal feed, and health products.

______________________Sol VoltaicsSolar Power. Sol Voltaics improves the efficiency of energy capture, genera-tion, and storage using minuscule amounts of novel nanomaterials.

Solar Power. Solelia Greentech rents and sells solar-powered charging stations so that organizations can pro-vide charging for electric cars using completely clean electricity.

Water Purification. Sorubin develops energy-efficient aerators for industrial water treatment.

Irrigation Systems. Terrigio manufac-tures irrigation systems. Its products use SAVAQ technology to improve irrigation efficiency and performance._______________________TomologicProduction Engineering. Tomologic offers a unique opti-mization system for maximum

efficiency and minimal environmental impact in industrial sheet metal cutting.

Wind Power. Triventus Wind Power takes wind power projects from concept to value-creating energy production.

Wave Energy. The Vigor Wave Energy

Converter is based on a floating hose and uses water and air as mechanical parts to absorb wave energy.

__________________Zemissions Emission controls. Zemission develops, customizes, and pro- duces burners for different custo. mer applications. The technology is physically scalable to an un-precedented degree.

Q���Scandinavian Energy Efficiency. Q��

Visit Umeå and learn more about sustainable planning. Attend our three-day training program and take one step closer to a sustainable world.Over these three days, you will learn how we have created one of the most sustainable countries in the world. The program combines talks and field trips, and includes meetings with representatives from municipalities, academia and industry. The goal is understand what is needed to create a sustainable society.

You will also meet with consultants and companies that have been involved in the process from the very beginning in Sweden. They can provide valuable expertise that will help you achieve your goals faster, more cost-effectively and with better results.

DAY 1: � Introduction to the Swedish system. � Information on the Swedish funding system. � Study visits to relevant reference objects.

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Fredrik LundmarkE-mail: [email protected]: +46 90 786 76 20

Page 12: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

| GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN |

IT AND ENERGY

INITIATIVESSweden has one minister responsible for both IT and energy. This arrange-ment is intentional and the minister, Anna-Karin Hatt, recognizes that the two fields are becoming increasingly integrated. Apart from renewable energy and energy efficiency measures, cleantech exports and research into alternative energy sources are two more important issues handled by the ministry.

"The Swedish energy minster’s genuine commitment to environ-mental issues is obvious to anyone who knows her.

As an example, Hatt chose to highlight the e!ects of climate change when inaugurating a combined power and heating plant in Helsingborg in southern Sweden. On that occasion, her remarks included the following statement:

“We are living in critical times. If the earth’s average temperature were to rise by more than two degrees Celsius, it would have dramatic e!ects on our society. Here in Sweden, we would experience longer and wetter summers with more precipitation. We would also see tropical storms and drought in other parts of the world. We might perhaps also see positive e!ects, like larger crop harvests, but

also negative e!ects like more pest damage to our forests, increased water flow, and greater risks of landslides along our waterways. Without doubt, parts of the world would su!er crop failure and famine more often and epidemics would find new ways of spreading. We would see new streams of refugees, geopolitical tensions, and increased competition for dwindling natural resources. This is what climate challenge is all about.”

Her speech at the power plant also testifies to how seriously Sweden takes its green energy supply. Gener-ating heat and electricity simultane-ously in combined power and heating plants is a technique that Sweden began pursuing in earnest during the 1980s and 1990s. Since then, electric-ity and district heating, which were initially derived from oil and coal, have become increasingly greener.

Today, Swedish combined power and heating is green and is based almost entirely on biofuels and waste collected from the forest industry and on recycling household waste to produce energy. Moreover, one in two Swedes now lives in a house heated by district heating. Forty percent of this heat comes from combined power and heating plants, and 13 percent of Sweden’s electricity is produced in these modern power plants.

“As the Swedish Energy Minister, I am very proud that we have come this far. And I am confident about the future. Each day, the energy revolu-tion gains more ground. What’s more, our energy evolution can also help others. Because when countries cooperate and when new discoveries spread, in time it can create a real revolution,” Hatt told the audience at the inauguration.

Q���Anna-Karin HattMinister for Informa-tion Technology and Energy Ministry of Enterprise and Energy. Q��

Page 13: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

| GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN |

One of Hatt’s secretaries of state, Daniel Johansson, points out that Sweden took up the environmental cause early on by expanding its district heating and electricity resources, and that this know-how can now be exported. He also points out that this expansion has been achieved in close cooperation with the Swedish people.

“Often, these solutions have been worked out at the municipal level, resulting in good, comprehensive solutions that can be applied in other countries. We’ve now integrated this into our strategy, which includes demonstrating Swedish solutions within our ‘Symbio City’ concept,” he explains.

Meanwhile, energy derived from waste is an important aspect of the Swedish energy system and will continue to be so. “In all likelihood, waste will continue to play a major role. We have combined heating and power plants that provide much of our energy and heat from waste incinera-tion. In this regard we’re ahead of many other countries, where it’s still common practice to dump waste in landfills.”

The state secretary also empha-sizes other forms of waste manage-ment: “Even more exciting is the role that waste and residual products can play in the development of new fuels, such as biogas made from household

waste that powers municipal buses and trucks. I believe this role will increase in the future,” he says.

One important issue on Anna-Karin Hatt’s agenda is how to increase cleantech exports. A strategy has been put in place for the period 2011 to 2014 and under this strategy, all Swedish ministries and authorities dealing with exports and technologi-cal development are to cooperate. This includes the Ministry of Environ-ment, the Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications, and the Ministry of Foreign A!airs, together with agencies like the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (Vinnova), Business Sweden, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the Swedish Energy Agency, and the Center for Environmental Technology (Centec).

In addition to cooperation between di!erent cleantech stake-holders and between government agencies, Daniel Johansson believes that the most important part of this strategy is taking a holistic approach to the entire value chain.

“It’s not just about di!erent stakeholders cooperating. In reality, the strategy involves initiatives that cover the entire value chain–from concept and innovation to finding a market and establishing a product.

The broader initiative also aims to identify the challenges that compa-nies face,” Johansson says.

In addition, the state secretary points out that some of the e!orts have been very concrete and well timed. “We are now seeing targeted export ventures aimed at China, Russia, India, the US, Turkey, and Brazil,” he adds.

The 400 million Swedish kronor being spent to help Swedish cleantech companies enter the world market are being combined with research into renewable energy. Anna-Karin Hatt has described the main purpose of state-funded energy research as helping Sweden to achieve its energy and climate goals. Because new knowledge and new technology are so important, energy research is a natural and integrated part of Swedish energy policy.

“We’re now investing heavily in energy research; spending SEK 1.3 billion per year starting this year and SEK 1.4 billion per year from 2016,” wrote Hatt in a blog post dated January 22, 2013.

In the same posting, Hatt also mentions a company working within cleantech that combines several of the factors that she considers to be important–renewable energy and export opportunities. The company is Nlab Solar AB. Nlab Solar develops solar cells that can be integrated into

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Page 14: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

| GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN

everything from common consumer products to large buildings.

“This is one of many solutions that can contribute to both the domestic and global energy transi-tion, while also creating important jobs here in Sweden and welcomed export revenues.”

Johansson believes that Sweden compares well internationally when it comes to transitioning to alterna-tive energy sources. “We are the best in Europe and among the best in the world in terms of the proportion of renewable energy we use. That’s good, but we still have considerable

challenges to face, as does the rest of the world. Not least important in this transition is rethinking our transports, an area where we are still almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels,” he says.

This view is confirmed by the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Executive Director, Maria van der Hoeven: “Sweden has achieved more resource-e#cient and sustainable energy use through investments in renewable energy, increased energy e#ciency, and more energy research and innovation. Renewable energy resources have been expanded in a

cost-e!ective way. Through Swe-den’s tradable green certificate system, the share of renewable electricity has increased, at a low cost to the consumer,” she writes in the IEA’s evaluation of Swedish energy policy.

The evaluation also specifies how Sweden has adopted ambitious, long-term goals for reducing carbon dioxide emissions and increasing renewable energy. “We’re now on track to achieve, or even exceed, these objectives,” wrote Anna-Karin Hatt in an article co-authored by Van der Hoeven.

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Page 15: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

| GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN |

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Sweden Can Achieve Fully Renewable Electricity Production

We can build a sustainable electricity system in Sweden using solar energy, biomass, wind, and currently available hydropower. And it could be complet-ed by 2030, according to a report from the Swedish Wind Energy Associa-tion (Svensk Vindenergi). The report argues that there are no technical or economic barriers to transitioning to fully renewable electricity production in Sweden. Rather, what is lacking is the political will.

"‘‘Even so, we cannot ignore the fact that the first nuclear reactors are approaching the

end of their life spans. Even if nuclear power were politically acceptable, it is highly doubtful that anyone would want to invest. Recent numbers from projects in several countries show that new reactors are becoming increas-ingly more expensive,” says Annika Helker Lundström, CEO of the Swedish Wind Energy Association.

There is excellent potential for renewable electricity in Sweden. Merely the wind power projects already licensed could produce 30 TWh of electricity, which equals about half of last year’s nuclear power generation. But a renewable electricity system presents challenges. It has to handle both when there are strong winds and when there is no wind at all. According to the report, simulations from the Royal Institute of Technology show that hydropower can balance the varying wind conditions for 30 TWh of wind power.

“New studies also show that hydro-power produced in 2008 had more hourly adjustments than would be required to meet the same variations caused by 55 TWh of combined wind power, solar power and electricity consumption,” explains Helker Lundström.

So there is good potential for a renewable electricity system. But it requires a thoughtful approach to be done cost-e!ectively. “The grid needs

to be refurbished and improved and trading capacity with our neighbors increased. It requires investing in ‘smart grids’ that enable all consumers to become more active on the electric-ity market, while providing new opportunities to manage the variabil-ity of renewable electricity,” she says.

According to the report, the Swedish National Grid’s first move should be to develop an action plan for the grid that allows it to meet the Swedish Parliament’s goal for 30 TWh of wind power by 2020. “It also requires in-depth analysis of how we can best tackle the issues of balancing power, load leveling, and energy storage,” says Annika Helker Lund-ström.

The report also notes that demand curves in the electricity certificate system also need adjustment. Previ-ously, the Swedish Energy Agency estimated that only just over 11 TWh of

wind power would be built by 2020, based on the existing goals. “We are likely to reach that level in 2014. We then risk a slowdown unless grid improvements are accelerated and ambition levels increased,” Helker Lundström argues.

She also argues that the Swedish government should press for greater cooperation with other EU countries. By allowing other countries to pay for credit for the relatively cheap renew-able electricity that can be made in Sweden, Swedish electricity customers get a lower electricity price without having to pay for the grid expansion.

“With a strong investment in renewable electricity and continued improvement of the grid, we can build a sustainable electricity system. This opens the option of closing ageing reactors and for a more secure power supply if new nuclear plants do not materialize,” says Helker Lundström.

OVER 6000 SWEDISH CLEANTECH COMPANIES are work- ing hard every day to make a di!erence and addressing the climate and sustainable challenges that we are facing. The strengths come from Sweden’s heritage and changing climate, with harsh winters, Sweden has long been a model for energy-saving technologies and environmentally advanced intellectual knowledge that now is becoming vital. You will find many success stories and companies in this magazine.

We can all see that the need for sustainable solutions is growing, the way we live our daily life and consuming is just not going to work. We are expected to be over 9 billion people by 2050. That’s equal to almost 400,000 thousand new citizens every day, that will need somewhere to live, food and water. Houses and buildings consume energy, to produce food you need even more energy and water." This is the world’s biggest business opportunity.

SWEDISH CLEANTECH COMPANIES have long experience in building and developing smart sustainable cities and societies. Symbio City is a concept that Business Sweden Agency together with companies, regions and partners that is focusing on building sustainable cities and regions. Swedish cleantech companies are working together in projects to become more successful and also with Interna-tional projects and companies.

The demand from China, India, Russia, Indonesia, Australia and Brazil are huge, and are some of the fastest changing and polluting countries including the U.S where the need for environmentally solutions are most needed and growing.

THE TREND AND FASTEST GROWING CONTINENT is Africa with many successful projects in Water, renewable energy, environmental awareness and bioenergy initiatives, with huge potential.

With over a 3100 billion market 2020, the biggest business opportunity in the world is there for Swedish and the worlds cleantech companies!"

Go make a di!erence!

Swedish cleantech to boost the world

Page 16: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

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Page 17: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

| GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN |

The Man Tasked with Opening Doors

China, India, and Russia are priority markets for Swedish cleantech exports and Mats Denninger is the man tasked with coordinating Sweden’s efforts to open doors in these countries.“There is no quick fix here. It will take both patience and resources to succeed,” Denninger explains.

"Climate and environmental challenges, which are rightly seen as being the greatest threat of our time, also present an opportu-

nity. Major investments are being made all around the world in areas such as renewable energy, waste management, water treatment, and sustainable urban development. This development opens up major fields of opportunity for both Swedish clean-tech solutions and Swedish industry.

In September 2011, the Swedish government invested in a strategy to promote the development and export of environmental technology, to provide support to Swedish industry. The government’s investment of SEK 400 million in the program will continue until 2014.

China, Russia, and India have been

earmarked as key markets for Swedish cleantech technology. Mats Denninger, as High Representative for the International Environmental Technol-ogy Cooperation (IMT) at the Govern-ment O#ces of Sweden, has now reached about the halfway mark in Sweden’s campaign to increase cleantech exports to China, Russia, and India. A large number of activities and initiatives have been carried out in these countries since the program started January 2011.

“We’ve focused on developing our contacts with public sector clients such as cities, regions, and municipali-ties,” says Denninger.

IMT started by reviewing the markets using criteria related to administrative capacity and needs. From there, a number of regions and cities of interest were identified.

“We’ve collected information on, communicated with, and visited the cities and regions of interest to us,” continues Denninger.

The next step was to match Swedish companies with the needs of the targeted cities and regions.

“We discovered, however, that meeting the demand for large system orders represents a significant challenge for Swedish companies”, he says. “There are, for example, not many companies in Sweden that can build and operate a wastewater treatment plant.”

Another challenge identified by IMT is the business model used in Russia and India.

“Funding is often based on public-private partnerships, which we have little experience with in Sweden.”

There is, of course, no such

Q���Mats Denninger, High Representative for the International Environmental Technology Coop-eration (IMT) at the Government Offices of Sweden. Q��

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| GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN

On September 1, 2011, Sweden’s cleantech strategy was presented by the then Minister for Enterprise and Energy, Maud Olofsson; the Minister for Trade, Ewa Björling; and the then Minister for the Environment, Andreas Carlgren. The strategy aims to improve conditions conducive to the development and export of new Swedish cleantech solutions in four different policy areas; business, trade, the environment, and development assistance policy. The government will invest SEK 400 million in cleantech in the period 2011-2014 to fund short- and long-term initiatives covering everything from research and innovation to exports. As part of its strategy, the government has decided on some 20 missions to over 10 state-funded agencies and organizations. These missions will help to create better business conditions for Swedish companies in selected areas. The missions’ focus will be based on analytical data and on dialog with stakehold-ers in the area.

obstacle in China. Needs are also more diverse there.

“This aspect and the fact that we have more experience exporting cleantech to China, means we have made more progress there,” says Denninger.

A special o#ce for cleantech exports, Centec, has been operating in Beijing since 2008. Similar permanent o#ces, albeit smaller in size, are now also operating in Russia and India.

“I would say that all three markets have a substantial need for energy e#ciency and waste management solutions, areas in which Sweden has significant expertise, particularly within its municipalities,” says Denninger.

This link to municipalities also causes a problem, however.

“Municipalities are good at defining and procuring functional units and systems. However, this also means that we in Sweden lack stakeholders who can deliver and operate facilities independently.”

A primary goal of the Swedish government’s initiative is to increase exports of Swedish cleantech. Accord-ing to Denninger, Swedish cleantech exports to China doubled between

2008 and 2009 to over SEK 2 billion. Exports have remained at that level since, however. Cleantech exports to Russia and India are currently SEK 1 billion and SEK 500 million respec-tively. The potential is however much greater. “The key to success is deliver-ing innovative technology; o!ering smart solutions at low prices and always being ready to take the next step forward in technological development”.

“Increasing cleantech exports to these countries is a long-term project. The perseverance that is needed to succeed requires high levels of resources.”

Denninger would like to see more investors choose to invest in Swedish cleantech.

“There is a great need for venture capital and consolidation. Fewer and stronger stakeholders would be better equipped to meet the challenges we face,” he says.

The question, then, is why more venture capitalists aren’t investing in cleantech, when everyone seems to agree that the industry has enormous potential.

“Unfortunately, the short-term returns are probably too small at present,” Denninger concludes.

Almost everybody agrees that the key to a brighter future for the environment is cooperation. If we can set new standards for how we solve problems together we can really make a change.

!at is exactly what we have been doing for decades in the Swedish process industry.

Working together to solve common problems. It is proven to be an e"ective strategy and we call it the ssg way. But you could also call it sustainable thinking.

SUSTAINABLE THINKING IS WORKING TOGETHER

SW

EE

TPO

P.SE

Page 19: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

| GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN |

INTERNATIONAL INTEREST IN

Waste management solutions are one Swedish cleantech sector that has achieved both increased exports and international recognition. Waste management and recycling accounted for nearly one-third, or SEK 12 billion, of Sweden’s total cleantech exports in 2011.

SWEDISH CLEANTECH INDUSTRY

"Swedish waste management is internationally renowned thanks to Sweden’s technical and system solutions, that is, the way

energy is extracted from waste and how it is used.

“Sweden’s strength is in taking a holistic approach to environmental issues; environmental problems are seen as assets, such as turning food waste into biogas or waste incineration that provides district heating,” explains Tony Clark, former Swedish Embassy Counselor in China and current Deputy Director of the International Unit at the Swedish Ministry of the Environment.

He also points out that Sweden was very quick to create systems with exciting cradle-to-grave solutions that included advanced collaboration from innovation and research all the way to practical implementation.

In the Swedish waste management system, municipalities are responsible for collecting and recycling all house-hold waste (except waste that falls under producer responsibility), particularly packaging materials, newspapers, and electrical goods. Households are also responsible for sorting their own waste

so that it can be recycled correctly. Today, 99 percent of Swedish household waste is recycled as either energy or materials, making Sweden one of the world’s leaders in waste management.

It is municipalities that have often driven development in Sweden. By specifying minimum requirements during public procurement procedures and developing expertise and tech-niques, they have laid the foundation for the systems and technological solutions that are now being exported.

Avfall Sverige (the Swedish Waste Management and Recycling Associa-tion) brings together the country’s leading waste management expertise.

“Sweden has the world’s best and most comprehensive waste manage-ment systems—that’s a view that is widely shared even outside the country. Despite this recognition, Swedish exports of services, expertise, and equipment remain small. To address this problem, Avfall Sverige has launched a new task force that brings together stakeholders in Sweden to achieve a wider adoption of Swedish expertise and technology,” reveals Weine Wiqvist, CEO of Avfall Sverige.

Responsibility for collecting and processing household waste in Sweden is divided between municipalities and producers. Producers are responsible for packaging and electronic waste. Recycling expenses incurred by municipalities are recouped through waste fees levied on households, while producers recoup their costs through including a fee in the prices of the products themselves. Sweden had a total ban on organic waste in landfills several years before the EU began imposing any such limits. The more than two million tons of household waste that were incinerated with energy recovery in 2010 supplied 820,000 homes with district heating and pro-vided 275,000 normal-sized houses with electricity, thus replacing large amounts of fossil fuel. A total of 14.4 GWh of energy were recovered through incineration, distributed as 12.6 GWh in heating and 1.8 GWh in electricity.The 660 million tons of waste that was composted in 2010 provided 265,000 MWh of vehicle biogas and 51,000 MWh of heat. In addition, 583,000 tons of bio-fertilizer were produced. The gas produced replaces over 7,925,000 gallons of gasoline and is currently the cleanest vehicle fuel available. In addi-tion, material from 1.6 million tons of waste was recycled in 2010. Read more at www.avfallsverige.se

GROWING FASTCompared to many other industries, the cleantech industry in Sweden is small. Even so, it currently employs over 40,000 people and records annual sales of about SEK 120 billion. Moreover, the industry is experiencing rapid growth, and its exports are growing faster than those of other Swedish industries.

"Cleantech is still a relatively small part of Swedish industry, but it is a high priority for the Swedish

government, and the country’s public authorities have invested SEK 400 million in a cleantech strategy. In addition, Swedish municipalities play an important role and can help further facilitate the export of Swedish cleantech innovations and system solutions.

In 2011 the Swedish environmen-tal sector exported goods and services to the value of SEK 38.9 billion, equivalent to 2.2 percent of the country’s total exports. This repre-sented an increase of 6 percent or SEK 2.2 billion over 2010.

Environmental technology companies are divided into 13

di!erent categories and, in 2011, companies active within the “recycled materials” category exported the most. This category exported goods and services worth over SEK 13 billion in 2011, equivalent to one-third of the sector’s total exports.

Sales in the environmental sector

totaled SEK 241 billion in 2011; an increase over the previous year of more than 3 percent, or just under SEK 8 billion. Between 2003 and 2011, sales in this sector increased every year except for 2009. The total increase in sales during this period was 65 percent.

With the exception of 2010, exports also increased every year during the period. The total increase in exports during the period was 69 percent.

The corresponding figure for Sweden’s total exports was 58 percent. The Swedish government and public authorities have a clear goal: they want exports to increase substantially, especially to the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China).

No. of employees: 69,000Added value: SEK 60.6 billionExports of goods and services: SEK 38.9 billionIncrease in export value, 2010-2011: 6 percent or SEK 2.2 billion

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000

Italy

Belgium

Poland

India

Spain

France

Turkey

Great Britain

Netherlands

USA

China

Finland

Denmark

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4 927

2 6712 343

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1 044

967

817

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Page 20: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

| GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN |

VENTURE CAPITAL

IKEA Invests Heavily in CleantechVenture capital company IKEA GreenTech AB is investing heavily in cleantech. The company has so far invested EUR 12 million in four companies of a total of EUR 60 million allocated for investment.

"IKEA GreenTech, a venture capital company within the IKEA Group, invested EUR 12 million between 2010 and 2012

in companies working with cleantech and in a venture capital fund that invests in cleantech.

The venture capital company’s mission is primarily to invest in technology companies that contribute to greater sustainability, both for the community in general and within IKEA’s business activities. IKEA GreenTech is wholly owned by the IKEA Group, which means that these investments not only provide an injection of money and external expertise, but also open an opportu-nity to work with the IKEA furniture warehouse chain.

All profits are returned to the fund to create a continuous influx of capital that can be used to make new invest-ments.

“Our goal is to make investments that enable IKEA to o!er innovative new products that help people to live a more sustainable life at home. After evaluating interesting ideas from over

700 companies, we selected the technologies that o!er real potential in this area,” says Christian Ehren-borg, Managing Director, IKEA GreenTech.

IKEA GreenTech was founded in 2008 and focuses mostly on the Nordic countries and Europe. The company now plans to accelerate the process of identifying new invest-ments that will help the IKEA Group to fulfill its new sustainability strategy, People & Planet Positive.

“We are selective. We only invest in products, designs, materials, or processes that contribute to IKEA’s commitment to sustainability,” adds Ehrenborg.

IKEA’s sustainability strategy includes challenging commitments that are designed to help millions of people to save energy and water, and to reduce their household waste. Moreover, the strategy also helps to make IKEA a more sustainable com pany. IKEA GreenTech is investi-gating opportunities throughout IKEA’s supply chain to support its strategy.

IKEA business activities in combination with at least one other positive effect, normally cost savings

introduced onto the market-

ogy, strong IPR and know-how

international potential and a distinct go-to-market plan

management team

should exist now

business activities

within, typically, 5-7 years, with a good return on investment

Q���IKEA GreenTech latest investment is in DyeCoo Textile Systems, a Dutch company that has developed the first commercially avail- able waterless dyeing technology. ergy. Q��

Page 21: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

| GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN

VENTURE CAPITAL

IKEA GreenTech AB is a corporate venture capital company that makes equity investments in green technol-ogy companies. Its mission is primarily to invest in technolo-gy-based companies that improve the sustainability of IKEA’s business activities. The company is owned by the IKEA Group. This ownership structure gives potential access to the global and well-renowned IKEA retail concept.

Exibea AB (Sweden) A market-driven company that produces products for monitoring and regulating energy consumption.

"IKEA GreenTech latest investment is in DyeCoo Textile Systems, a Dutch company that has developed

the first commercially available waterless dyeing technology. Using recycled carbon dioxide (CO2), the technology avoids the large amount of water and chemicals used in traditional dyeing pro-cesses.

“DyeCoo’s waterless dyeing technology is a truly innovative system that could bring real environmental and costs benefits for the textile industry by reducing water and chemical use. Through the partnership, IKEA will help to speed up the development and availability of the technology,” says Christian Ehrenborg, Managing

Director, IKEA GreenTech AB.The investment will support

the delivery of the IKEA Group Sustainability Strategy, People & Planet Positive, which includes challenging commitments for IKEA to make its products, operations and supply chain more sustainable. The significant potential of the waterless dyeing process has also been recognised by the world’s leading apparel and footwear brand, NIKE, Inc. which invested in DyeCoo in 2012. Nike’s strategic partnerships group worked closely with IKEA GreenTech throughout the investment process. The textile industry is one of the largest consumers of water and most of the world’s textile suppliers are

located in Asia. The scale of the industry’s activity in the region can put pressure on the availability of clean water and contribute to environmental pollution in the discharges from manufacturing processes. By removing the need to use water in the dyeing process and eliminating the risk of e$uent discharge, a known environmental hazard, the DyeCoo system could bring significant benefits to the region. The first range of machines developed and manufactured by DyeCoo are for waterless dyeing of polyester fabric. As well as helping to scale the processes for dyeing polyester, the partnership with IKEA will speed up the develop-ment of processes and machines for dyeing cotton.

Mountain Cleantech Fund II (Cleantech growth fund in Germany/Austria/Switzerland) El-Seed Corp. (LED technology, Japan)

BoFood AB (Sweden)This company develops and produces vegetable-based food products with a focus on healthier dietary habits and reduced environmental impact. One example of its products is the ice cream brand Lovice–ice cream made from soybeans. Today, soybeans are often used in animal feed. Using soybeans as a base means that cows are no longer needed for ice cream manufacture, eliminating one stage in the production process.

system provides long-term

Give up Bad Construction for Good!Ecology & Economy in One

use and good interior climate.

FOAMGLAS NORDIC ABHällebergsvägen 7, SE-443 60 Stenkullen, SverigeTel. +46 (0)302 378 56, Fax +46 (0)302 378 57, E-mail [email protected] / www.koljern.se

Sick houses is the worst nightmare of a house-owner, but with Koljern™-technique you avoid future problems. Your house will be a healthy and sound dream house with a good indoor environment. The combination of the technical advantages in the koljern method, and the long-term profits seen out of a lifecycle, perspective makes winners out of both consultants, contractors and house owners. The first price is non-problem ground construction in the future. The Koljern™-technology is proved to be energy efficient, damp proof, fireproof, flexible and durable. The Koljern™-technology can be used as supporting or non-supporting elements, in small, large and heavy buildings.

(Sweden)This company works to supply complete, modular, climate-friendly energy storage systems consisting of battery cells, a mechanical connec-tion, and their guidance and control electronics, primarily based on Li-ion batteries, for trucks and other applications.

Page 22: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

| GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN |

ENVAC

One of Sweden’s true success stories in cleantech exports is Envac. The company is a world leader in automated waste management and has 38 offices in 21 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Americas, and Australia.

"Why don’t we suck up waste with a vacuum cleaner? It seems that this question, posed at

the end of the 1950s, would have a major impact on the waste manage-ment of the future. Back then, a hospi-tal in northern Sweden was negotiat-ing the purchase of a new central vacuum system, when the discussion suddenly took a di!erent turn:

“If we can suck all of the dust from every corner of the hospital using just one system, why can’t we do the same thing with waste?” No one had thought of the idea before, and no one knew if it was possible. It was. In 1961, Centralsug AB, now Envac, installed the first vacuum waste management system in the world in Sollefteå Hospital, northern Sweden. The system is still in operation today, still with many of the original parts

from the early 1960s. Despite many attempts to convince others of the value of the technology, it still took four years after the first installation before the next contract came in 1965, when a municipal housing company in the Sundbyberg area of Stockholm decided to give the system a try.

Ultimately, the first vacuum system for household waste in the world was installed in an entirely newly built neighborhood. This system is also still in operation today.

A host of installations in the Stockholm area soon followed this first installation in a residential area in Ör in 1966. During a period spanning the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, underground waste transport systems servicing thousands of apartments were installed.

Nonetheless, interest in this new technology was not only growing in

Stockholm, but also abroad. Disney World in Orlando, Florida, opened in October 1971. Its aim was to o!er visitors a chance to experience not only Disney’s own attractions, but also the latest in technological development.

One of these technical innovations was the underground waste system that Centralsug supplied, and which is still in operation today.

In spite of this high-profile US installation, it was primarily markets in southern Europe and Southeast Asia that attracted Envac’s interest. In the mid-1980s, the company began working the Spanish market. The first Spanish order finally came in 1988, when the city of Cartagena in the southeast ordered an underground waste transport system for a project covering 4,000 new homes. Installa-tion began in 1989 and was completed

Patience – A Success Factor for World-leading Waste Company

Page 23: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

44 | GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN

Munters is an engineering and environmental technology company that produces products built on the fundamen-tal relationship between water, air, and energy. The secret behind its export success is that Munters’ products can cool without creating moisture-related problems, and heat without creating too dry a climate. The foundation for these products is the knowledge that humidity increases when a building is cooled (as with conventional air conditioning, for example) which, in most situations, creates problems with moisture. For this reason, air conditioning and dehumidification is desirable in warm climates. On the other hand, heating and humidification are needed in cold climates.

The Blueair company produces products that clean air of pollution down to the smallest particle. Its air purifiers are currently sold in over 50 countries, and the secret behind its export success is the speed and efficiency with which its products scrub indoor air. Blueair’s units remove allergens, asthma triggers, viruses, bacteria, and other airborne contaminants. At present the company is expanding rapidly in China, not least of all because of the smog problem in several major Chinese cities. Today, Blueair has distributors in over 40 Chinese cities, and the company saw its Chinese sales double in 2012.

Termoekonomi is a knowledge-based company with a focus on modern, green energy. According to Termoe-konomi itself, the company is a world leader in district cooling and large-scale heat pump systems. District heating and smart energy solutions for process industries, power plants, and offices are also among its specialties.The company’s projects include cooling and heating solutions for the Olympic village in Beijing, China, and improving energy efficiency at a biogas plant in South Korea.

Malmberg is a Swedish cleantech company working in the fields of biogas, geoenergy, water treatment, drilling, and environmental management. The company carries out assignments in both the Swedish and inte rnational markets. Malmberg is also at the forefront of efforts to extract energy from water. In the four years between 2006 and 2009, Malmberg has managed to build its first water purification plant in Russia; its first biogas plant in Ger-many for injecting gas into the natural gas grid; its first biogas plant in Austria; supply biogas technology to China; and create the world’s largest energy storage facility at Arlanda airport, outside Stockholm. In addition, Ukrainian authorities have signed a cooperation agree-ment for water treatment solutions with the Swedish Water Experience AB company, of which Malmberg is a part. The aim of the project is to modify wastewater and drinking water treatment systems in selected Ukrainian cities to meet European environmental standards.

Purac constructs treatment plants for water purification and the treatment of biological waste all around the world–for wastewater, drinking water, and process water. Purac also constructs plants for biogas production and gas cleaning.

To date, Purac has completed well over 4,000 contracts in 70 countries worldwide, particularly in Europe and Asia. Its contracting operations combine process, construction, and contracting expertise using its own and licensed technologies. Some examples of Purac’s expertise include methods that make it possible to reduce spatial require-ments and operating costs by up to 50 percent.

in 1995. This was a very promising start. However, an order that proved to be much more important to the company’s future came when the Olympic city of Barcelona chose to install Centralsug’s vacuum system. The “new Barcelona” would look out onto the sea. It would be built on the site of the derelict industrial and docklands neighborhood along the coastline. The Olympic village was just the first phase, but Envac’s installation in the Olympic village in Barcelona was so successful that the City of Barcelona decided that more vacuum waste management systems should be built. Ten years later, Barcelona City included vacuum systems as a “common utility” in its master plan for the city’s expansion. These installations in Barcelona were quickly also adopted throughout the rest of Spain. The Spanish market is now one of Envac’s largest and the company has o#ces in several Spanish cities.

Today, Envac has over 600 installations in more than 30 coun-tries.

Jonas Törnblom, Director of Marketing and Communication at Envac, explains that Spain was an important market for the company to establish itself in, but that China is

becoming an increasingly important market for the simple reason that a lot of construction is taking place there.

Törnblom reveals that, despite successful installations in many countries, it took several years before exports really took o!. He explains what it was that finally made growth a reality:

“Growth really took o! when cities around the world were forced to introduce waste sorting and when they, at the same time, began to realize that they no longer had room to store waste on sidewalks and in open spaces. Being clean and acces-sible became progressively more important in cities’ marketability,” says Törnblom.

One important reason why exports have increased is the fact that Envac has no production facility of its own.

“We buy in all the parts and assemble and install our systems on-site. Not being dependent on a factory has facilitated our geographic expansion, at the same time as it has also made the company less vulner-able to economic fluctuations,” he explains.

When it comes to Sweden, Törnblom believes that there is no shortage of good products and ideas that can increase cleantech exports–

but that this alone is not enough.“I think you need to realize that

just because a cleantech solution is viable in Sweden, doesn’t mean it’s viable in other countries. Markets often di!er due to strong political influences. The most important factor in every product sale is that the product provides clear customer benefit,” Törnblom says. “Given that cleantech sales are so dependent on political decisions in the form of regulations, subsidies, and so on, customer value can often be more di#cult to estimate and predict than for other types of sales. For example, how much is clean air and less noise pollution actually worth in dollars?”

The future looks bright for one of Sweden’s most successful export companies in cleantech and its plans for tomorrow are clearly laid out.

“We’re looking closely at the prospects our products have in North America. Developments in the US economy and housing construction look promising, which are important preconditions for sales of Envac’s products,” Törnblom concludes.

Envac AB is a Swedish company with more than 50 years’ experi-ence in automated waste manage-ment, and is one of Sweden’s foremost cleantech companies.Envac invented the vacuum waste management system that applies vacuum technology to waste management in the early 1960s. Today, Envac’s system is installed around the world–in neighbor-hoods, malls, city centers, indus-trial kitchens, hospitals, and airports. System construction is coordinated with the installation of other infrastructure, such as electricity, sewage, and water systems. Envac is a wholly owned subsidiary of Stena Adactum AB, a company within the Stena Sphere.

GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN | 45

Page 24: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

Welcome to participate in this year’s edition of the Summer Academy organized by LSU and Sida. The debate on what should follow the Millennium Development Goals when they expire in 2015 is thoroughly underway. What we know so far is that sustainability will play a central role in the new agenda. What are the youth organizations perspectives on sustainability and how can we as young pe-ople come up with solutions for a sustainable future? If you would like to meet other interes-ting organizations, exchange ideas and perspectives and get inspired you should attend the Summer Academy 2013.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

DATES / 12 – 17 June (arrival on the 12th and departure on the 17th)LOCATION / Sida Partnership Forum, HärnösandCOST / Sida Partnership Forum covers room and board. Participants cover travel costsTARGET GROUP / Young people and youth organizations interested in sustainability work

Young people solving old

challenges with new solutions WWW.LSU.SE/

SUMMERACADEMY

Page 25: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

48 | GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN | 49

IN SWEDEN

3The Swedish cleantech industry is growing fast and many exciting developments are taking place around the country. From north to south, regional networks are working to develop the industry. Their work includes technical visits, marketing, and matching companies with suitable investors, always with the same goal–to promote Swedish cleantech. We get the inside scoop on what’s happening right now in Sweden’s cleant ech industry.

Page 26: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

| GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN | 51

"Community developments with expansion of settlements, new roads and"agricultural lands and forests have

significantly a!ected water and wetland habitats."Wetland acreage has been drastically reduced, lakes have been lowered or drained, and"many ditches have been deepened, straight-ened or piped."This means the water’s ability to self-purify has been reduced, leading to a decline in plant and animal species dependent upon wetland habitats." In 1995, nine municipalities in southern Sweden agreed to work together to improve the environment by raising"water quality in lakes and streams and decreasing the e$ux"of nutrients into Oresund, the body of water between Sweden and Denmark."The project focused on restoring wetlands and ponds and constructing cultivation-free bu!er zones along watercourses. In addition to cleaner water, the"goal is also to improve conditions for biodiversity"and recreation.

The project has resulted in the construction of 148 wetlands with a total area of 365 hectares.

The inlet /outlet to the wetlands may be constructed as an open ditch, pipe, adjustable culvert, or dam. The use of other technical solutions with artificial materials is minimized, but in some cases they are necessary to solve problems such as leakage, erosion, or water level regulation. One such product is the WaReg flow regulator. The flow regulator ensures that the ponds and lakes are not overfilled during periods of high rainfall and thereby minimizes damage to the surrounding areas. The device maintains the balance within the wetland area and also protects the wetland areas close to large watershed areas such as parking lots or other large, hard surfaces.

In general, wetlands have a positive e!ect on biodiversity and nutrient retention in intense agricultural areas. Already during the first year after construction, the number of inverte-

brate animals makes up a large number of species and individuals. Plant growth shows the same pattern, and an average of 32 wetland plants was found per pond. Consequently, bird life shows a quick response to the constructed habitats.

Facts: Sustainable Sweden South-east is a business network that assists international clients and investors to implement business solutions that support sustainability. The network link and coordinate experiences and knowledge on environmental technology and sustainability from Swedish trade, industry and authorities with research resources from universi-ties. The network includes south-eastern Sweden’s leading technol-ogy companies together with public organizations and universi-ties. Wapro is a member of Sustain-able Sweden Southeast.

Eutrophication of lakes and seas affected by algae blooms, changes in fish stocks, and deteriora-tion of swimming water quality has become a serious problem in many countries. One reason for these problems is changes in land use, but a project in southern Sweden is reversing this trend.

"‘‘As a municipally owned company we have better access to public organisations and we

can o!er a neutral arena for collabora-tion, something that is impossible for individual enviro-tech SME’s to achieve, says Project Manager, Caroline Davidsson.

Caroline Davidsson has worked for Cleantech Östergötland (CTÖ) since 2009 and one of CTÖ’s main tasks is to support the regional enviro-tech companies. The KAM project is about tearing down barriers between stakeholders where business opportu-nities are apparent by leading con-certed business development e!orts on neutral ground.

– Due to lack of knowledge, both public and private requests for proposals (RDPs) unintentionally exclude the performance and possi-bilities that many environ-tech SMEs with the latest solutions can o!er, says Gert Kindgren, CEO of Cleantech Östergötland.

It is important to raise awareness about these SMEs among those who make decisions regarding future investments within both the public and the private sector. Moreover, Cleantech Östergötland’s member companies (mainly enviro-tech SMEs) have more to learn about the needs of these large purchasing organisations as well as how to structure the business deals in order to make a successful close. This is where the KAM project provides a new type of arena that successfully closes this gap.

Energifabriken (the Energy factory), one of CTÖ’s member companies, has gained from the project. Their product is the bio-fuel; RME, which is produced from rape-seed. Energifabriken’s customers are

both private and public but because of the relative novelty that their product represents, RME is often not included as a possible alternative in public RFPs.

– David Varverud, part owner of Energifabriken explains; - the break-through often comes once the personal meeting has taken place and we’ve been given the chance to disseminate information about the possibilities available with RME.

Energifabriken is participating in one of the KAM arenas, ‘fossil-free fuels’ which is a partnership between CTÖ and the Regional Energy O#ce. The Energy O#ce provides a course for municipal o#cers and politicians that delivers an overall description of a wide variety of renewable fuels. In conjunction with this course CTÖ holds a creative workshop where suppliers of renewable fuels and the course participants can mix and discuss business models. The idea is for the participants to address, mainly obstacles, but also possibilities regard-ing the further establishment of renewable fuels in the public sector and on the market in general.

–"The role as a bridge builder at CTÖ is fundamentally based on trust. This trust ensures that we as employ-ees of CTÖ receive information about both the demand side as well as the supply side and this is where it is important to allocate time and resources in order to turn this information into concrete business. Caroline Davidsson concludes; - ‘The KAM project does just this!’

An ever-present difficulty for small and medium sized Swedish environmental technology compa-nies is the challenge of reaching and also closing business deals with large enterprises and public bodies. The purpose of the KAM project, which stands for Creative Business-arenas for Environmental Technology is to bridge this gap and overcome this challenge.

IS A BRIDGE BUILDER

business-oriented arena in East Sweden that promotes collaboration for sustainable development and regional growth

funded by the municipalities of

more than 100 member compa-

mental TechnologyThe purpose of the KAM project is to overcome the challenge that small and medium sized environ-mental technology companies face when pursuing business with large enterprises and public

GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN | 51

Page 27: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

| GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN

GreenTech Visits is a collaboration between Sustainable Business Hub in Malmö, municipalities and a number of visit objects and companies within the region. The study visits are coordinated by Sustainable Business Hub.

"GreenTech Visits is a collabo-ration between Sustainable Business Hub in Malmö, municipalities and a

number of visit objects and compa-nies within the region. The study visits are coordinated by Sustainable Business Hub.

The target groups for GreenTech Visits are politicians, policy makers and administrators in the public sector, policy makers and o#cials in the private sector, as well as journal-ists. The study visits focus on sustain-able urban development, resource

e#ciency and cleantech. Among other places the study visits are located in Malmö, Lund and Helsingborg, cities that are ranked among the top ten sustainable cities in Sweden.

The study visit programs can include visits at reference facilities, talks about sustainable urban development, waste management, energy e#ciency and sustainable healthcare, water and wastewater management, district heating and cooling, as well as lectures at universi-ties.

GreenTech Visits are tailor-made

technical visits for international delegations. There are a number of visits; they include biogas, brownfield regeneration, early processes in Sustainable Urban Development, green housing in Malmö, the munici-pal housing Karlskronahem fossil free buildings, low-CO2 Heating Skåne, system solutions for a sustainable hospital, waste management and the world´s premier research and environmental environment in Lund. Max IV, a world class giant micro-scope, will be completed in 2015 and ESS, the globe´s most powerful neuron source, will start construction in 2014. The Danish counterpart State of Green and GreenTech Visits have together created a service that will make it possible for delegations to visit both Sweden and Denmark during a one day visit. Other partners are Skåne Regional Council, The County Administrative Board of Skåne and municipalities within the Öresund region.

| GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN

GreenTech Visits are financed by Skåne Regional Council and the project Energy Öresund with special finances from City of Copenhagen and The County Administrative Board of Skåne. Inquiries about the study visits and bookings are handled by Sustainable Business Hub. The study visits are customized for international delegations.

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Page 28: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

TRAINING IN

Umeå is home to all the knowledge necessary to understand how Sweden succeeded in becoming one of the world’s leading countries for sustainability work. International students rank Umeå University number one in Sweden and number five in the world according to the International Student Barometer survey.

"Sweden’s first study pro-gramme for Environmental and Public Health Inspectors was introduced here in 1977,

and the broad range of knowledge available within the field of sustain-ability puts both Umeå and Umeå University in a unique position. We will therefore be launching a commis-sioned course in autumn 2013 to communicate knowledge about sustainability to the rest of the world. This course will run for three days and will combine theory with problem resolution and study visits based on the motto “Seeing is believing”.

Prior to the oil crisis of 1973 Sweden was one of the world’s most oil-dependent countries. Sustained e!orts over the years to reduce our dependency on oil have led to Sweden using mainly alternative energy sources, with bioenergy now the single largest source of energy. Swedish know-how in this area is

incredibly valuable in terms of solving global climate problems, and delega-tions from around the world travel to Sweden to study our success in en- couraging society to change its ways.

“We want to engage with interna-tional visitors in a pedagogical way and to work together to create a sustainable society. This continuing urbanisation is revolutionary and we need to change our approach to planning cities and ultimately building them. Within the next 30

years, the UN calculates that an additional 3.5 billion people will migrate to cities. The cities are set to become a key issue in the future,” says Mikael Öhlund, City Director and CEO of Kompetensspridning i Umeå AB, which aims to export Swedish environ-mental engineering know-how.

Another area in which Sweden excels is waste management. Today, waste in Sweden is re-used and recycled, with considerable amounts being used for energy recovery instead of being taken to landfill, which accounts for just under 2 %. Elsewhere in the world, with very few exceptions, landfills are extremely common. Knowledge of systems is needed to understand how sustain-able waste management can be developed.

“In Umeå we are proud to have a municipal waste company that is extremely proficient at waste mas-nagement. This was confirmed back in 2011 when we were named the best municipality in Sweden for sorting hazardous waste,” says Tomas Blomqvist, CEO of UMEVA.

“It is important to bear in mind that it is not always the technical innovations that will solve environ-mental issues, but rather planning and building a sustainable society. The situation therefore demands greater education and increased knowledge if we are to succeed in creating a society that is sustainable in the long term,” says Margareta Alfredsson, Planning Director city of Umeå.

Facts: Technical Visits is an element in making Umeå a northern hub for environmental engineering. This project is financed by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Tillväxtverket), Umeå municipality, Umeå Kommun-företag, Region Västerbotten, UMEVA, and Umeå Energi.

54 | GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN

Flexible Transportation Solutions for the Future of FreightSundsvall Logistikpark is an investment in growth and the environment. We are expanding the Port of Sundsvall with a container port, a combiterminal and areas for establishing logistics operations.

There is already a rail connection to the Port of Sundsvall, one of Sweden's largest ports for the forest industry. In addition, ships leave regularly for Rotterdam, Lübeck, and London.

We have prepared space for storage of liquefied natural gas (LNG), a back-up fuel to biogas. The LNG terminal is strategically located as it is linked to three forms of transportation: ship, train and truck. Areas in direct connection to these and close to the airport create exciting and sustainable new business opportunities. Sundsvall Logistikpark offers flexible transportation solutions in the service of the environment.

www.sundsvalllogistikpark.se www.sundsvallshamn.se

Envac AB, Fleminggatan 7, 112 26 Stockholm, Sweden, Phone +46 8 785 00 10, www.envacgroup.com

Envac’s automated vacuum waste collection system removes waste in residential areas, large-scale catering establishment as restaurants and airports, city centres and hospitals in over 30 countries.

Instead of being transported by lorries through the city, waste travels by air - underground.This invisible solution contributes to a better environment on a local and global level.

Envac has developed an international presence with 37 offices across 21 countries in Europe, North and South America, the middle East, Asia and Australia

Envac - a sustainable contribution to the city environment

stThe sustainable waste management for the 21 century

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Envacadvert2012_greensolutions_178x120mm_PRINT.pdf 1 2012-09-26 14:10:31

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56 | GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN

"Green Business Region is run by the Teknikdalen Founda-tion in Borlänge and aims at establishing Dalarna/

Gävleborg as a leading cleantech region in 2015. The network support companies in the green sector to grow and create new jobs by developing sustainable solutions for the future. The region is strong in the following are strong in energy e#ciency in the building sector, water purification, solar power technology, wind power technology and wehicles and alterna-tive fuels (electricity and biogas).

One success factor for Green Business Region is to find good models for cooperation between the business, academic and public sectors. In that process, the Univer-sity of Dalarna, the"University of Gävle"along with the di!erent municipal energy companies play an important role.

In 2007 Dalarna was appointed “Pilot Region for Green Development” by the Swedish Government along with the counties of Skåne and Norrbotten. Green Business Region is an active partner in this honourable nomination, which involves spreading examples of best practice to other regions in Sweden.

Except the obvious focus on supporting cleantech companies to go from Ideas Into Business, Green Business Region also takes initiatives to establish other forms of regional collaboration projects. Among other things, Green Business Region o!ered the organisers of the 2015 FIS World Championships in Falun – Beyond

Skiing – to perform a pre-study on the sustainability related issues that an international event of that size inevitably encounters.

This helped integrate sustainabil-ity issues at an early stage of the planning process. Green Business Region now works closely with ÅF, the County Administrative Board and Falu Energy & Water to support the event organisers implement sustainable practices.

Green Business Region is an innovation and collaboration arena for cleantech companies in the two counties of Dalarna and Gävleborg.

Green Business Region offer advice related to business deve-lopment and export opportunities, management of national and international business visits to the many interesting energy and cleantech facilities located in Dalarna and Gävleborg. Green Business Region also offers funding advice and networks and seminars.

“Enabling international trade and private sector development”

A key issue for the Swedish chamber network is making use of green technology when it comes to both products and services. Chambers have a unique potential to make use of their role as policy advocators, their business networks and services to promote sustainable growth and green technology.

There are 11 regional chambers of commerce in Sweden and more than 40 Swedish chambers of commerce abroad. Make use of the Swedish chamber network as a Gateway to Swedish Green Technology. Find the chamber closest to you on our website.

Chamber Trade Sweden is an international platform and non-pro!t organisation founded by the chambers of commerce in Sweden to enable business to expand internationally and make better use of both local and global chamber and business networks. We focus especially on collaboration with local organisations and networks in emerging markets and developing countries. Green technology is a key focus in many of our projects. CTS report on Swedish green technology is available on our website.

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58 | GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN

"The four BRIC countries–Bra-zil, Russia, India, and China–have enjoyed strong economic growth in recent

years. Together, they have accounted for a significant share of global growth.

“There are major opportunities for Swedish companies to increase their exports to the BRIC countries. This initiative shows that there is a growing commitment among Swedish compa-nies to seize these opportunities,” says Sweden’s Minister for IT and Energy, Anna-Karin Hatt.

Now Swedish stakeholders also want to bolster Swedish cleantech companies’ chances of success in the BRIC countries. More cleantech companies, or, alternatively, compa-nies that act as suppliers for environ-mentally sustainable systems, will now be given the knowledge they need to

generate business opportunities in these markets.

Business Sweden and the regional cleantech networks Cleantech Öster- götland, Stockholm Cleantech, Teknik-dalen Foundation, and Green Business Region are also supporting the initia- tive, with Business Region Göteborg acting as its project manager. The project is financed through the Swed- ish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth’s Miljödriven Tillväxt (envi-ronment-driven growth) program.

“We initiated this campaign because we saw that there was a need among [Swedish] companies. Through the program, we aim to give small- and medium-sized Swedish businesses the opportunity to improve their competi-tiveness and develop their business in these emerging markets,” says Bernt Svensén, project manager for clean-tech companies’ international

relations at Business Region Göteborg. Sixty Swedish cleantech companies

will be invited to participate in the project. Twenty of these companies will be given the opportunity to obtain a business development check for internationalization for SEK 250,000 per company.

In Sweden, a national initiative has been launched that aims to help bolster Swedish cleantech companies in the BRIC countries. The Business Region Göteborg network, together with Business Sweden, has been tasked with leading the business development program.

The term was coined in a report by investment bank Goldman

countries cover over 25 percent of the Earth’s land area and are home to about 40 percent of the

ELFOREST creates electrichybridsolutions with advanced technologythat helps you save money and reduce the environmental impact.

ELFOREST modular system of electric hybrid components provides solutions for many different machine and vehicle manufacturers. Our own developed software can be adapted to control different electric hybrid configurations.

Page 31: Green solutions from Sweden magazine vol.5 2013

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