Export of sustainable solutions from Sweden
Waste management in Colombia, energy efficiency in Somaliland and mobility solutions in China – these are just a few examples of projects that have started as a result of Smart City Sweden. The visit platform works to demonstrate sustainable city solutions from Sweden and welcomes delegations from all over the world. The result is over 20 projects on four different continents.
– It’s fantastic to see how Smart City Sweden has increased cooperation with many countries and also contributed to business for Swedish companies. Sweden is a small country but the interest in Swedish environmental know-how and sustainable solutions is great. If we can increase the export and spread of these solutions, much has been gained from an environmental and sustainability perspective, says Marie Fossum Strannegård, CEO of IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute.
Since 2017, Smart City Sweden has welcomed decision-makers and stakeholders from all over the world who are interested in finding sustainable city solutions that fit the needs of their local context. The platform, which is operated by IVL together with six regional nodes, demonstrates solutions in mobility, urban planning, social sustainability, energy and climate. During the years, Smart City Sweden has welcomed thousands of people and hundreds of delegations from 79 countries.
Studies on four continents
In 2020, Smart City Sweden welcomed 1700 visitors, mostly online, from 55 different countries. The visits from the last years have resulted in about 20 pre-feasibility studies being conducted in countries all around the world, where it is investigated if the sustainable solutions from Sweden can be implemented in that specific context.
– Sweden has a lot of experience and solutions when it comes to sustainability. All countries that are part of the Paris agreement need to implement sustainable solutions to reach the Global Goals, and Sweden, and Swedish companies, can play a part in that transition, says Gina Aspelin Hedbring, Project Manager at Smart City Sweden.
From visits to implementation
Swedish companies have participated in delivering the technical solutions, as well as the know-how while conducting the studies and several of the studies are already becoming a reality. In Somaliland, four studies were conducted, and streetlights run by solar power have already been installed. In Rugao, China, biogas buses are now rolling, and in Karu, Nigeria, a project to improve waste management has started.
For more information, please contact:
Gina Aspelin Hedbring, gina.aspelin.hedbring@ivl.se,+46 10 788 66 68