The municipality of Boden has been granted funding to implement the Boden Sustainability Center (BSC), an initiative aimed at strengthening social sustainability during the ongoing societal transition. With a total project budget of just over 16 million kronor over three years, the project will develop new forms of collaboration between the municipality, the business community, academia, and civil society.
Boden is in the midst of a period of historic development marked by major industrial investments, a growing business sector, and an expansion of the Swedish Armed Forces. At the same time, there is a growing need to ensure that this growth is sustainable in the long term and benefits the entire community.
The municipality of Boden now has the opportunity to move forward with the next phase of the Boden Sustainability Center project, which has been developed over the past few years through a feasibility study conducted in collaboration with several local and regional stakeholders.
– The green transition isn’t just about investments and new jobs. It’s also about people, inclusion, and creating the conditions for a society where more people can participate and contribute. The Boden Sustainability Center will help us join forces and develop approaches that strengthen social sustainability in the transition,” says Magnus Åkerlund, municipal manager of the Municipality of Boden.
Create a long-term structure
Among other things, the project aims to develop new forms of collaboration in the areas of workforce development, inclusion, innovation, and social sustainability. The goal is to create a long-term framework that makes it easier for various stakeholders to work together to address the opportunities and challenges arising from rapid societal change.
An important part of this work will be to develop the Boden Sustainability Center as a meeting place where people, organizations, and ideas can come together to contribute to Boden’s continued development.
“We know that no single actor can solve these issues on its own. To succeed, we need to build stronger bridges between the public sector, the business community, academia, and civil society. That is exactly what the Boden Sustainability Center is all about,” says Magnus Åkerlund.
Collaboration with Multiple Stakeholders
The project is being carried out in collaboration with several organizations that were already involved in the preliminary study, including Stegra, Polar Structure, Boden Tillsammans, Boden Business Park, and the Municipality of Boden.
The project period runs from fall 2026 to summer 2029, and the total budget amounts to approximately 16.3 million kronor. The initiative is funded through support from the European Social Fund, along with regional and local co-financing.
“Boden has received a great deal of attention for its industrial transition. Through this initiative, we are now strengthening the human dimension of this development. It is an important investment in creating an attractive, inclusive, and sustainable Boden, even in the long term,” says Magnus Åkerlund.
